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Broman E, Abdelgadir M, Bonaglia S, Forsberg SC, Wikström J, Gunnarsson JS, Nascimento FJA, Sjöling S. Long-Term Pollution Does Not Inhibit Denitrification and DNRA by Adapted Benthic Microbial Communities. Microb Ecol 2023; 86:2357-2372. [PMID: 37222807 PMCID: PMC10640501 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-023-02241-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Denitrification in sediments is a key microbial process that removes excess fixed nitrogen, while dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) converts nitrate to ammonium. Although microorganisms are responsible for essential nitrogen (N) cycling, it is not yet fully understood how these microbially mediated processes respond to toxic hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) and metals. In this study, we sampled long-term polluted sediment from the outer harbor of Oskarshamn (Baltic Sea), measured denitrification and DNRA rates, and analyzed taxonomic structure and N-cycling genes of microbial communities using metagenomics. Results showed that denitrification and DNRA rates were within the range of a national reference site and other unpolluted sites in the Baltic Sea, indicating that long-term pollution did not significantly affect these processes. Furthermore, our results indicate an adaptation to metal pollution by the N-cycling microbial community. These findings suggest that denitrification and DNRA rates are affected more by eutrophication and organic enrichment than by historic pollution of metals and organic contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Broman
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Environmental Science, School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, 141 89, Huddinge, Sweden.
| | - Mohanad Abdelgadir
- Department of Environmental Science, School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, 141 89, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Stefano Bonaglia
- Department of Marine Sciences, Gothenburg University, 413 19, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Sara C Forsberg
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Environmental Science, School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, 141 89, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Johan Wikström
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jonas S Gunnarsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Francisco J A Nascimento
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
- Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sara Sjöling
- Department of Environmental Science, School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, 141 89, Huddinge, Sweden
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2
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Rämö R, Bonaglia S, Nybom I, Kreutzer A, Witt G, Sobek A, Gunnarsson JS. Sediment Remediation Using Activated Carbon: Effects of Sorbent Particle Size and Resuspension on Sequestration of Metals and Organic Contaminants. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022; 41:1096-1110. [PMID: 35040192 PMCID: PMC9306760 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Thin-layer capping using activated carbon has been described as a cost-effective in situ sediment remediation method for organic contaminants. We compared the capping efficiency of powdered activated carbon (PAC) against granular activated carbon (GAC) using contaminated sediment from Oskarshamn harbor, Sweden. The effects of resuspension on contaminant retention and cap integrity were also studied. Intact sediment cores were collected from the outer harbor and brought to the laboratory. Three thin-layer caps, consisting of PAC or GAC mixed with clay or clay only, were added to the sediment surface. Resuspension was created using a motor-driven paddle to simulate propeller wash from ship traffic. Passive samplers were placed in the sediment and in the water column to measure the sediment-to-water release of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and metals. Our results show that a thin-layer cap with PAC reduced sediment-to-water fluxes of PCBs by 57% under static conditions and 91% under resuspension. Thin-layer capping with GAC was less effective than PAC but reduced fluxes of high-molecular weight PAHs. Thin-layer capping with activated carbon was less effective at retaining metals, except for Cd, the release of which was significantly reduced by PAC. Resuspension generally decreased water concentrations of dissolved cationic metals, perhaps because of sorption to suspended sediment particles. Sediment resuspension in treatments without capping increased fluxes of PCBs with log octanol-water partitioning coefficient (KOW ) > 7 and PAHs with log KOW of 5-6, but resuspension reduced PCB and PAH fluxes through the PAC thin-layer cap. Overall, PAC performed better than GAC, but adverse effects on the benthic community and transport of PAC to nontarget areas are drawbacks that favor the use of GAC. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1096-1110. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Rämö
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant SciencesStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Stefano Bonaglia
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant SciencesStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Inna Nybom
- Department of Environmental ScienceStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Anne Kreutzer
- Department of Environmental TechnologyHamburg University of Applied SciencesHamburgGermany
| | - Gesine Witt
- Department of Environmental TechnologyHamburg University of Applied SciencesHamburgGermany
| | - Anna Sobek
- Department of Environmental ScienceStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Jonas S. Gunnarsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant SciencesStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
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3
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Rämö RA, Honkanen J, Nybom I, Gunnarsson JS. Biological Effects of Activated Carbon on Benthic Macroinvertebrates are Determined by Particle Size and Ingestibility of Activated Carbon. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021; 40:3465-3477. [PMID: 34748656 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The application of activated carbon (AC) to the surface of contaminated sediments is a promising technology for sediment remediation in situ. Amendment with AC has proved to be effective in reducing bioavailability and sediment-to-water release of hydrophobic organic contaminants. However, AC may cause positive or negative biological responses in benthic organisms. The causes of these effects, which include changes in growth, reproduction, and mortality, are unclear but are thought to be related to the size of AC particles. The present study investigated biological response to AC ranging from ingestible powdered AC to noningestible granular AC in two benthic deposit feeders: the polychaete Marenzelleria spp. and the clam Limecola balthica (syn. Macoma balthica). In the polychaete, exposure to powdered AC (ingestible) reduced both dry weight and carbon assimilation, whereas exposure to granular AC (noningestible) increased both dry weight and carbon assimilation. Responses in the clam were similar but less pronounced, indicating that response levels are species-specific and may vary within a benthic community. In addition, worms exposed to the finest ingestible AC particles had reduced gut microvilli length and reduced gut lumen, indicating starvation. These results strongly suggest that biological responses to AC depend on particle ingestibility, whereby exposure to ingestible particles may cause starvation through reduced bioavailability of food coingested with AC or due to rejection of AC-treated sediment as a food source. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:3465-3477. © 2021 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Rämö
- Department of Ecology, Environment, and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johanna Honkanen
- Department of Ecology, Environment, and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Inna Nybom
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jonas S Gunnarsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment, and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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4
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Wikström J, Bonaglia S, Rämö R, Renman G, Walve J, Hedberg J, Gunnarsson JS. Sediment Remediation with New Composite Sorbent Amendments to Sequester Phosphorus, Organic Contaminants, and Metals. Environ Sci Technol 2021; 55:11937-11947. [PMID: 34435488 PMCID: PMC8427744 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c02308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
This study tested two sediment amendments with active sorbents: injection of aluminum (Al) into sediments and thin-layer capping with Polonite (calcium-silicate), with and without the addition of activated carbon (AC), for their simultaneous sequestration of sediment phosphorus (P), hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs), and metals. Sediment cores were collected from a eutrophic and polluted brackish water bay in Sweden and incubated in the laboratory to measure sediment-to-water contaminant release and effects on biogeochemical processes. We used diffusive gradients in thin-film passive samplers for metals and semi-permeable membrane devices for the HOC polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Al injection into anoxic sediments completely stopped the release of P and reduced the release of cadmium (Cd, -97%) and zinc (Zn, -95%) but increased the sediment fluxes of PAH (+49%), compared to the untreated sediment. Polonite mixed with AC reduced the release of P (-70%), Cd (-67%), and Zn (-89%) but increased methane (CH4) release. Adding AC to the Al or Polonite reduced the release of HOCs by 40% in both treatments. These results not only demonstrate the potential of innovative remediation techniques using composite sorbent amendments but also highlight the need to assess possible ecological side effects on, for example, sedimentary microbial processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Wikström
- Department
of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Stefano Bonaglia
- Department
of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Robert Rämö
- Department
of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gunno Renman
- Department
of Sustainable Development, Environmental Sciences and Technology,
Division of Water and Environmental Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jakob Walve
- Department
of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johanna Hedberg
- Department
of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jonas S. Gunnarsson
- Department
of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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5
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Trannum HC, Raymond C, Næss R, Borgersen G, Gunnarsson JS, Schaanning MT. Long-term response of marine benthic fauna to thin-layer capping with powdered activated carbon in the Grenland fjords, Norway. Sci Total Environ 2021; 776:145971. [PMID: 33652322 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The Grenland fjords in Norway have a long history of contamination by large emissions of dioxins and mercury. As a possible sediment remediation method in situ, thin-layer capping with powdered activated carbon (AC) mixed with clay was applied at two test sites at 30 m and 95 m depth in the Grenland fjords. This study presents long-term effects of the AC treatment on the benthic community structure, i.e. nine years after capping. Capping with AC significantly reduced the number of species, their abundance and biomass at the two test sites, compared to uncapped reference sites. At the more shallow site, the dominant brittle star species Amphiura filiformis disappeared shortly after capping and did not re-establish nine years after capping. At the deeper site, the AC treatment also caused long-lasting negative effects on the benthic community, but some recovery was observed after nine years. Ecological indices used to assess environmental status did not capture the impaired benthic communities caused by the capping. The present study is the first documentation of negative effects of powdered AC on marine benthic communities on a decadal scale. Our results show that the benefits of reduced contaminant bioavailability from capping with AC should be carefully weighed against the cost of long-term detrimental effects on the benthic community. More research is needed to develop a thin-layer capping material that is efficient at sequestering contaminants without being harmful to benthic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilde C Trannum
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway; University of Agder, Center for Coastal Research, NO-4604 Kristiansand, Norway.
| | - Caroline Raymond
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rita Næss
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Gunhild Borgersen
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Jonas S Gunnarsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Morten T Schaanning
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway
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6
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Raymond C, Samuelsson GS, Agrenius S, Schaanning MT, Gunnarsson JS. Impaired benthic macrofauna function 4 years after sediment capping with activated carbon in the Grenland fjords, Norway. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2021; 28:16181-16197. [PMID: 33269443 PMCID: PMC7969561 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-11607-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The sediments in the Grenland fjords in southern Norway are heavily contaminated by large emissions of dioxins and mercury from historic industrial activities. As a possible in situ remediation option, thin-layer sediment surface capping with powdered activated carbon (AC) mixed with clay was applied at two large test sites (10,000 and 40,000 m2) at 30-m and 95-m depths, respectively, in 2009. This paper describes the long-term biological effects of the AC treatment on marine benthic communities up to 4 years after treatment. Our results show that the capping with AC strongly reduced the benthic species diversity, abundance, and biomass by up to 90%. Vital functions in the benthic ecosystem such as particle reworking and bioirrigation of the sediment were also reduced, analyzed by using novel bioturbation and bioirrigation indices (BPc, BIPc, and IPc). Much of the initial effects observed after 1 and 14 months were still present after 49 months, indicating that the effects are long-lasting. These long-lasting negative ecological effects should be carefully considered before decisions are made on sediment remediation with powdered AC, especially in large areas, since important ecosystem functions can be impaired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Raymond
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | | | - Stefan Agrenius
- Department of Marine Sciences-Kristineberg, University of Gothenburg, 451 78, Fiskebäckskil, Sweden
| | | | - Jonas S Gunnarsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
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7
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Schaanning MT, Beylich B, Gunnarsson JS, Eek E. Long-term effects of thin layer capping in the Grenland fjords, Norway: Reduced uptake of dioxins in passive samplers and sediment-dwelling organisms. Chemosphere 2021; 264:128544. [PMID: 33065324 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The Grenlandfjords in South East Norway are severely contaminated with dioxins from a magnesium smelter operated between 1950 and 2001. In 2009, the proposal of thin-layer capping as a potential mitigation method to reduce spreading of dioxins from the fjord sediments, resulted in the set-up of a large-scale field experiment in two fjord areas at 30 and 100 m depth. After capping, several investigations have been carried out to determine effects on benthic communities and bioavailability of dioxins. In this paper we present the results on uptake of dioxins and furans (PCDD/F) in passive samplers and two sediment-dwelling species exposed in boxcores collected from the test plots during four surveys between 2009 (after cap placement) and 2018. Sediment profile images (SPI) and analyses of dioxins revealed that the thin (1-5 cm) cap layers became buried beneath several centimeters of sediments resuspended from adjacent bottoms and deposited on the test plots after capping. Uptake reduction ratios (R) were calculated as dioxins accumulated in cores collected from capped sediments divided by dioxins accumulated in cores collected from uncapped reference sediments. Cap layers with dredged clay or crushed limestone had only short-term positive effect with R-values increasing to about 1.0 (no effect) 1-4 years after capping. In spite of the recontamination, cap layers with clay and activated carbon had significant long-term effects with R-values slowly increasing from 0.12-0.33 during the first three years to 0.39-0.46 in 2018, showing 54-61% reduced uptake of dioxins (PCDD/F-TE) nine years after capping with AC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Espen Eek
- Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, 0806, Oslo, Norway
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8
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Bonaglia S, Broman E, Brindefalk B, Hedlund E, Hjorth T, Rolff C, Nascimento FJA, Udekwu K, Gunnarsson JS. Activated carbon stimulates microbial diversity and PAH biodegradation under anaerobic conditions in oil-polluted sediments. Chemosphere 2020; 248:126023. [PMID: 32007777 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Biodegradation by microorganisms is a useful tool that helps alleviating hydrocarbon pollution in nature. Microbes are more efficient in degradation under aerobic than anaerobic conditions, but the majority of sediment by volume is generally anoxic. Incubation experiments were conducted to study the biodegradation potential of naphthalene-a common polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-and the diversity of microbial communities in presence/absence of activated carbon (AC) under aerobic/anaerobic conditions. Radio-respirometry experiments with endogenous microorganisms indicated that degradation of naphthalene was strongly stimulated (96%) by the AC addition under anaerobic conditions. In aerobic conditions, however, AC had no effects on naphthalene biodegradation. Bioaugmentation tests with cultured microbial populations grown on naphthalene showed that AC further stimulated (92%) naphthalene degradation in anoxia. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences implied that sediment amendment with AC increased microbial community diversity and changed community structure. Moreover, the relative abundance of Geobacter, Thiobacillus, Sulfuricurvum, and methanogenic archaea increased sharply after amendment with AC under anaerobic conditions. These results may be explained by the fact that AC particles promoted direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) between microorganisms involved in PAH degradation pathways. We suggest that important ecosystem functions mediated by microbes-such as hydrocarbon degradation-can be induced and that AC enrichment strategies can be exploited for facilitating bioremediation of anoxic oil-contaminated sediments and soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Bonaglia
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
| | - Elias Broman
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Björn Brindefalk
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Sweden
| | - Erika Hedlund
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Carl Rolff
- Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Francisco J A Nascimento
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Klas Udekwu
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Sweden.
| | - Jonas S Gunnarsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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Broman E, Raymond C, Sommer C, Gunnarsson JS, Creer S, Nascimento FJA. Salinity drives meiofaunal community structure dynamics across the Baltic ecosystem. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:3813-3829. [PMID: 31332853 PMCID: PMC6852176 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Coastal benthic biodiversity is under increased pressure from climate change, eutrophication, hypoxia, and changes in salinity due to increase in river runoff. The Baltic Sea is a large brackish system characterized by steep environmental gradients that experiences all of the mentioned stressors. As such it provides an ideal model system for studying the impact of on‐going and future climate change on biodiversity and function of benthic ecosystems. Meiofauna (animals < 1 mm) are abundant in sediment and are still largely unexplored even though they are known to regulate organic matter degradation and nutrient cycling. In this study, benthic meiofaunal community structure was analysed along a salinity gradient in the Baltic Sea proper using high‐throughput sequencing. Our results demonstrate that areas with higher salinity have a higher biodiversity, and salinity is probably the main driver influencing meiofauna diversity and community composition. Furthermore, in the more diverse and saline environments a larger amount of nematode genera classified as predators prevailed, and meiofauna‐macrofauna associations were more prominent. These findings show that in the Baltic Sea, a decrease in salinity resulting from accelerated climate change will probably lead to decreased benthic biodiversity, and cause profound changes in benthic communities, with potential consequences for ecosystem stability, functions and services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Broman
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.,Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Caroline Raymond
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christian Sommer
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Jonas S Gunnarsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Simon Creer
- Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - Francisco J A Nascimento
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.,Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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10
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Bonaglia S, Rämö R, Marzocchi U, Le Bouille L, Leermakers M, Nascimento FJA, Gunnarsson JS. Capping with activated carbon reduces nutrient fluxes, denitrification and meiofauna in contaminated sediments. Water Res 2019; 148:515-525. [PMID: 30408736 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.10.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 10/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Sediment capping with activated carbon (AC) is an effective technique used in remediation of contaminated sediments, but the ecological effects on benthic microbial activity and meiofauna communities have been largely neglected. This study presents results from a 4-week experiment investigating the influence of two powdered AC materials (bituminous coal-based and coconut shell-derived) and one control material (clay) on biogeochemical processes and meiofauna in contaminated sediments. Capping with AC induced a 62-63% decrease in denitrification and a 66-87% decrease in dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA). Sediment porewater pH increased from 7.1 to 9.0 and 9.7 after addition of bituminous AC and biomass-derived AC, respectively. High pH (>8) persisted for at least two weeks in the bituminous AC and for at least 24 days in the coconut based AC, while capping with clay had no effect on pH. We observed a strong impact (nitrate fluxes being halved in presence of AC) on nitrification activity as nitrifiers are sensitive to high pH. This partly explains the significant decrease in nitrate reduction rates since denitrification was almost entirely coupled to nitrification. Total benthic metabolism estimated by sediment oxygen uptake was reduced by 30 and 43% in presence of bituminous coal-based AC and coconut shell-derived AC, respectively. Meiofauna abundances decreased by 60-62% in the AC treatments. Taken together, these observations suggest that AC amendments deplete natural organic carbon, intended as food, to heterotrophic benthic communities. Phosphate efflux was 91% lower in presence of bituminous AC compared to untreated sediment probably due to its content of aluminum (Al) oxides, which have high affinity for phosphate. This study demonstrates that capping with powdered AC produces significant effects on benthic biogeochemical fluxes, microbial processes and meiofauna abundances, which are likely due to an increase in porewater pH and to the sequestration of natural, sedimentary organic matter by AC particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Bonaglia
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden.
| | - Robert Rämö
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden
| | - Ugo Marzocchi
- Center for Electromicrobiology, Department of Biosciences, Aarhus University, Denmark; Analytical, Environmental and Geo- Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
| | - Léonie Le Bouille
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden
| | - Martine Leermakers
- Analytical, Environmental and Geo- Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
| | | | - Jonas S Gunnarsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden
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11
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Rämö RA, van den Brink PJ, Ruepert C, Castillo LE, Gunnarsson JS. Environmental risk assessment of pesticides in the River Madre de Dios, Costa Rica using PERPEST, SSD, and msPAF models. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2018; 25:13254-13269. [PMID: 27617335 PMCID: PMC5978829 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7375-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
This study assesses the ecological risks (ERA) of pesticides to aquatic organisms in the River Madre de Dios (RMD), which receives surface runoff water from banana, pineapple, and rice plantations on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Water samples collected over 2 years at five sites in the RMD revealed a total of 26 pesticides. Their toxicity risk to aquatic organisms was assessed using three recent ERA models. (1) The PERPEST model showed a high probability (>50 %) of clear toxic effects of pesticide mixtures on algae, macrophytes, zooplankton, macroinvertebrates, and community metabolism and a low probability (<50 %) of clear effects on fish. (2) Species sensitivity distributions (SSD) showed a moderate to high risk of three herbicides: ametryn, bromacil, diuron and four insecticides: carbaryl, diazinon, ethoprophos, terbufos. (3) The multi-substance potentially affected fraction (msPAF) model showed results consistent with PERPEST: high risk to algae (maximum msPAF: 73 %), aquatic plants (61 %), and arthropods (25 %) and low risk to fish (0.2 %) from pesticide mixtures. The pesticides posing the highest risks according to msPAF and that should be substituted with less toxic substances were the herbicides ametryn, diuron, the insecticides carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, ethoprophos, and the fungicide difenoconazole. Ecological risks were highest near the plantations and decreased progressively further downstream. The risk to fish was found to be relatively low in these models, but water samples were not collected during fish kill events and some highly toxic pesticides known to be used were not analyzed for in this study. Further sampling and analysis of water samples is needed to determine toxicity risks to fish during peaks of pesticide mixture concentrations. The msPAF model, which estimates the ecological risks of mixtures based on their toxic modes of action, was found to be the most suitable model to assess toxicity risks to aquatic organisms in the RMD. The PERPEST model was found to be a strong tool for screening risk assessments. The SSD approach is useful in deriving water quality criteria for specific pesticides. This study, through the application of three ERA models, clearly shows that pesticides used in plantations within the RMD watershed are expected to have severe adverse effects on most groups of aquatic organisms and that actions are urgently needed to reduce pesticide pollution in this high biodiversity ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Rämö
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Paul J van den Brink
- Alterra, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Clemens Ruepert
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Luisa E Castillo
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Jonas S Gunnarsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
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12
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Stadlinger N, Berg H, Van den Brink PJ, Tam NT, Gunnarsson JS. Comparison of predicted aquatic risks of pesticides used under different rice-farming strategies in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2018; 25:13322-13334. [PMID: 27854060 PMCID: PMC5978820 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7991-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
This study evaluates the risks of pesticides applied in rice-fish and rice farming, with and without integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, to non-target aquatic organisms in two provinces of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Pesticide inventories and application patterns were collected from 120 Vietnamese farmers through interviews. Risks were assessed using (1) Pesticide RIsks in the Tropics to Man, Environment, and Trade (PRIMET), a first-tier model, which calculates predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) of pesticides in the rice field, based on the compound's physico-chemical properties and the application pattern, and then compares the PECs to safe concentrations based on literature data, and (2) species sensitivity distribution (SSD), a second-tier assessment model using species sensitivity distributions to calculate potentially affected fraction (PAF) of species based on the PECs from PRIMET. Our results show that several of the used insecticides pose a high risk to fish and arthropods and that the risks are higher among rice farmers than among rice-fish farmers. This study indicates that the PRIMET model in combination with SSDs offer suitable approaches to help farmers and plant protection staff to identify pesticides that may cause high risk to the environment and therefore should be substituted with safer alternatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadja Stadlinger
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Håkan Berg
- Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Paul J Van den Brink
- Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Alterra, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Nguyen T Tam
- Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Aquaculture, Nong Lam University, HCM City, Vietnam
| | - Jonas S Gunnarsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
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13
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Amid C, Olstedt M, Gunnarsson JS, Le Lan H, Tran Thi Minh H, Van den Brink PJ, Hellström M, Tedengren M. Additive effects of the herbicide glyphosate and elevated temperature on the branched coral Acropora formosa in Nha Trang, Vietnam. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2018; 25:13360-13372. [PMID: 28111719 PMCID: PMC5978828 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-8320-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The combined effects of the herbicide glyphosate and elevated temperature were studied on the tropical staghorn coral Acropora formosa, in Nha Trang bay, Vietnam. The corals were collected from two different reefs, one close to a polluted fish farm and one in a marine-protected area (MPA). In the laboratory, branches of the corals were exposed to the herbicide glyphosate at ambient (28 °C) and at 3 °C elevated water temperatures (31 °C). Effects of herbicide and elevated temperature were studied on coral bleaching using photography and digital image analysis (new colorimetric method developed here based on grayscale), chlorophyll a analysis, and symbiotic dinoflagellate (Symbiodinium, referred to as zooxanthellae) counts. All corals from the MPA started to bleach in the laboratory before they were exposed to the treatments, indicating that they were very sensitive, as opposed to the corals collected from the more polluted site, which were more tolerant and showed no bleaching response to temperature increase or herbicide alone. However, the combined exposure to the stressors resulted in significant loss of color, proportional to loss in chlorophyll a and zooxanthellae. The difference in sensitivity of the corals collected from the polluted site versus the MPA site could be explained by different symbiont types: the resilient type C3u and the stress-sensitive types C21 and C23, respectively. The additive effect of elevated temperatures and herbicides adds further weight to the notion that the bleaching of coral reefs is accelerated in the presence of multiple stressors. These results suggest that the corals in Nha Trang bay have adapted to the ongoing pollution to become more tolerant to anthropogenic stressors, and that multiple stressors hamper this resilience. The loss of color and decrease of chlorophyll a suggest that bleaching is related to concentration of chloro-pigments. The colorimetric method could be further fine-tuned and used as a precise, non-intrusive tool for monitoring coral bleaching in situ.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Amid
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - M Olstedt
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - J S Gunnarsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - H Le Lan
- Institute of Oceanography (IO), Nha Trang, Vietnam
| | | | - P J Van den Brink
- Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Alterra, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - M Hellström
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - M Tedengren
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
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14
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Echeverría-Sáenz S, Mena F, Arias-Andrés M, Vargas S, Ruepert C, Van den Brink PJ, Castillo LE, Gunnarsson JS. In situ toxicity and ecological risk assessment of agro-pesticide runoff in the Madre de Dios River in Costa Rica. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2018; 25:13270-13282. [PMID: 27757743 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7817-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The River Madre de Dios (RMD) and its lagoon is a biodiversity rich watershed formed by a system of streams, rivers, channels, and a coastal lagoon communicating with the Caribbean Sea. This basin sustains a large area of agricultural activity (mostly banana, rice, and pineapple) with intensive use of pesticides, continually detected in water samples. We investigated in situ the toxicological effects caused by pesticide runoff from agriculture and the relation of pesticide concentrations with different biological organization levels: early responses in fish biomarkers (sub-organismal), acute toxicity to Daphnia magna (organismal), and aquatic macroinvertebrate community structure. The evaluation was carried out between October 2011 and November 2012 at five sites along the RMD influenced by agricultural discharges and a reference site in a stream outside the RMD that receives less pesticides. Acute toxicity to D. magna was observed only once in a sample from the RMD (Caño Azul); the index of biomarker responses in fish exposed in situ was higher than controls at the same site and at the RMD-Freeman. However, only macroinvertebrates were statistically related to the presence of pesticides, combined with both physical-chemical parameters and habitat degradation. All three groups of variables determined the distribution of macroinvertebrate taxa through the study sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Echeverría-Sáenz
- Central American Institute for Studies in Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, P.O. Box 86-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica.
| | - Freylan Mena
- Central American Institute for Studies in Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, P.O. Box 86-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - María Arias-Andrés
- Central American Institute for Studies in Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, P.O. Box 86-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Seiling Vargas
- Central American Institute for Studies in Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, P.O. Box 86-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Clemens Ruepert
- Central American Institute for Studies in Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, P.O. Box 86-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Paul J Van den Brink
- Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Alterra, Wageningen University and Research centre, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Luisa E Castillo
- Central American Institute for Studies in Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, P.O. Box 86-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Jonas S Gunnarsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
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15
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Svensson O, Bellamy AS, Van den Brink PJ, Tedengren M, Gunnarsson JS. Assessing the ecological impact of banana farms on water quality using aquatic macroinvertebrate community composition. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2018; 25:13373-13381. [PMID: 28116625 PMCID: PMC5978817 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-8248-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
In Costa Rica, considerable effort goes to conservation and protection of biodiversity, while at the same time agricultural pesticide use is among the highest in the world. Several protected areas, some being wetlands or marine reserves, are situated downstream large-scale banana farms, with an average of 57 pesticide applications per year. The banana industry is increasingly aware of the need to reduce their negative environmental impact, but few ecological field studies have been made to evaluate the efficiency of proposed mitigation strategies. This study compared the composition of benthic macroinvertebrate communities up- and downstream effluent water from banana farms in order to assess whether benthic invertebrate community structure can be used to detect environmental impact of banana farming, and thereby usable to assess improvements in management practises. Aquatic invertebrate samples were collected at 13 sites, using kick-net sampling, both up- and downstream banana farms in fast flowing streams in the Caribbean zone of Costa Rica. In total, 2888 invertebrate specimens were collected, belonging to 15 orders and 48 families or taxa. The change in community composition was analysed using multivariate statistics. Additionally, a biodiversity index and the Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP) score system was applied along with a number of community composition descriptors. Multivariate analyses indicated that surface waters immediately up- and downstream large-scale banana farms have different macroinvertebrate community compositions with the most evident differences being higher dominance by a single taxa and a much higher total abundance, mostly of that same taxon. Assessment of macroinvertebrate community composition thus appears to be a viable approach to detect negative impact from chemical-intensive agriculture and could become an effective means to monitor the efficacy of changes/proposed improvements in farming practises in Costa Rica and similar systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ola Svensson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, S-10961, Stockholm, SE, Sweden.
| | - Angelina Sanderson Bellamy
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, S-10961, Stockholm, SE, Sweden
- Sustainable Places Research Institute, Cardiff University, 33 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3BA, UK
| | - Paul J Van den Brink
- Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Alterra, Wageningen University and Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Michael Tedengren
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, S-10961, Stockholm, SE, Sweden
| | - Jonas S Gunnarsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, S-10961, Stockholm, SE, Sweden
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16
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Arias-Andrés M, Rämö R, Mena Torres F, Ugalde R, Grandas L, Ruepert C, Castillo LE, Van den Brink PJ, Gunnarsson JS. Lower tier toxicity risk assessment of agriculture pesticides detected on the Río Madre de Dios watershed, Costa Rica. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2018; 25:13312-13321. [PMID: 27783250 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7875-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2016] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Costa Rica is a tropical country with one of the highest biodiversity on Earth. It also has an intensive agriculture, and pesticide runoff from banana and pineapple plantations may cause a high toxicity risk to non-target species in rivers downstream the plantations. We performed a first tier risk assessment of the maximum measured concentrations of 32 pesticides detected over 4 years in the River Madre de Dios (RMD) and its coastal lagoon on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Species sensitivity distributions (SSDs) were plotted in order to derive HC5 values for each pesticide, i.e., hazard concentrations for 5 % of the species, often used as environmental criteria values in other countries. We also carried out toxicity tests for selected pesticides with native Costa Rican species in order to calculate risk coefficients according to national guidelines in Costa Rica. The concentrations of herbicides diuron and ametryn and insecticides carbofuran, diazinon, and ethoprophos exceeded either the HC5 value or the lower limit of its 90 % confidence interval suggesting toxic risks above accepted levels. Risk coefficients of diuron and carbofuran derived using local guidelines indicate toxicity risks as well. The assessed fungicides did not present acute toxic risks according to our analysis. Overall, these results show a possible toxicity of detected pesticides to aquatic organisms and provide a comparison of Costa Rican national guidelines with more refined methods for risk assessment based on SSDs. Further higher tier risk assessments of pesticides in this watershed are also necessary in order to consider pesticide water concentrations over time, toxicity from pesticide mixtures, and eventual effects on ecosystem functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Arias-Andrés
- Instituto Regional de Estudios en Sustancias Tóxicas (IRET), Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, 86-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica.
- Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany.
| | - R Rämö
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - F Mena Torres
- Instituto Regional de Estudios en Sustancias Tóxicas (IRET), Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, 86-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - R Ugalde
- Instituto Regional de Estudios en Sustancias Tóxicas (IRET), Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, 86-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - L Grandas
- Instituto Regional de Estudios en Sustancias Tóxicas (IRET), Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, 86-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - C Ruepert
- Instituto Regional de Estudios en Sustancias Tóxicas (IRET), Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, 86-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - L E Castillo
- Instituto Regional de Estudios en Sustancias Tóxicas (IRET), Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, 86-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - P J Van den Brink
- Alterra, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University, Wageningen University and Research centre, 47, 6700, AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - J S Gunnarsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
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17
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Gunnarsson JS, Castillo LE. Ecotoxicology in tropical regions. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2018; 25:13203-13206. [PMID: 29691739 PMCID: PMC5978835 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-1887-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jonas S. Gunnarsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University (SU), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Luisa E. Castillo
- Regional Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), National University (UNA), Heredia, Costa Rica
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18
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Samuelsson GS, Raymond C, Agrenius S, Schaanning M, Cornelissen G, Gunnarsson JS. Response of marine benthic fauna to thin-layer capping with activated carbon in a large-scale field experiment in the Grenland fjords, Norway. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2017; 24:14218-14233. [PMID: 28421523 PMCID: PMC5486621 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-8851-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
A field experiment with thin-layer capping was conducted in the Grenland fjords, Norway, for remediation in situ of mercury and dioxin-contaminated sediments. Experimental fields at 30 and 95 m depth were capped with (i) powdered activated carbon (AC) mixed with clay (AC+cla`y), (ii) clay, and (iii) crushed limestone. Ecological effects on the benthic community and species-feeding guilds were studied 1 and 14 months after capping, and a total of 158 species were included in the analyses. The results show that clay and limestone had only minor effects on the benthic community, while AC+clay caused severe perturbations. AC+clay reduced the abundance, biomass, and number of species by up to 90% at both 30 and 95 m depth, and few indications of recovery were found during the period of this investigation. The negative effects of AC+clay were observed on a wide range of species with different feeding strategies, although the suspension feeding brittle star Amphiura filiformis was particularly affected. Even though activated carbon is effective in reducing sediment-to-water fluxes of dioxins and other organic pollutants, this study shows that capping with powdered AC can lead to substantial disturbances to the benthic community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Göran S Samuelsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Svensk Ekologikonsult, Vegagatan 3, 113 29, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Caroline Raymond
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Stefan Agrenius
- Department of Marine Sciences-Kristineberg, University of Gothenburg, 451 78, Fiskebäckskil, Sweden
| | | | - Gerard Cornelissen
- Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), P.O. Box 3930 Ullevål Stadium, 0806, Oslo, Norway
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), 1432, Ås, Norway
| | - Jonas S Gunnarsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
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19
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Syberg K, Backhaus T, Banta G, Bruce P, Gustavsson M, Munns WR, Rämö R, Selck H, Gunnarsson JS. Toward a conceptual approach for assessing risks from chemical mixtures and other stressors to coastal ecosystem services. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017; 13:376-386. [PMID: 27662428 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.1849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2016] [Revised: 03/28/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Growth of human populations and increased human activity, particularly in coastal areas, increase pressure on coastal ecosystems and the ecosystem services (ES) they provide. As a means toward being able to assess the impact of multiple stressors on ES, in the present study we propose an 8-step conceptual approach for assessing effects of chemical mixtures and other stressors on ES in coastal areas: step A, identify the relevant problems and policy aims; step B, identify temporal and spatial boundaries; step C, identify relevant ES; step D, identify relevant stressors (e.g., chemicals); step E, translate impacts into ES units; step F, assess cumulative risk in ES units; step G, rank stressors based on their contribution to adverse effects on ES; and step H, implement regulation and management as appropriate and necessary. Two illustrative case studies (Swedish coastal waters and a coastal lagoon in Costa Rica) are provided; one focuses on chemicals that affect human food supply and the other addresses pesticide runoff and trade-offs among ES. The 2 cases are used to highlight challenges of such risk assessments, including use of standardized versus ES-relevant test species, data completeness, and trade-offs among ES. Lessons learned from the 2 case studies are discussed in relation to environmental risk assessment and management of chemical mixtures. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:376-386. © 2016 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristian Syberg
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Thomas Backhaus
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Gary Banta
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Peter Bruce
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mikael Gustavsson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Wayne R Munns
- Atlantic Ecology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, Rhode Island
| | - Robert Rämö
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Henriette Selck
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Jonas S Gunnarsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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20
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Selck H, Adamsen PB, Backhaus T, Banta GT, Bruce PKH, Burton GA, Butts MB, Boegh E, Clague JJ, Dinh KV, Doorn N, Gunnarsson JS, Hauggaard-Nielsen H, Hazlerigg C, Hunka AD, Jensen J, Lin Y, Loureiro S, Miraglia S, Munns WR, Nadim F, Palmqvist A, Rämö RA, Seaby LP, Syberg K, Tangaa SR, Thit A, Windfeld R, Zalewski M, Chapman PM. Assessing and managing multiple risks in a changing world-The Roskilde recommendations. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017; 36:7-16. [PMID: 28024105 PMCID: PMC6130322 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Revised: 02/28/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Roskilde University (Denmark) hosted a November 2015 workshop, Environmental Risk-Assessing and Managing Multiple Risks in a Changing World. This Focus article presents the consensus recommendations of 30 attendees from 9 countries regarding implementation of a common currency (ecosystem services) for holistic environmental risk assessment and management; improvements to risk assessment and management in a complex, human-modified, and changing world; appropriate development of protection goals in a 2-stage process; dealing with societal issues; risk-management information needs; conducting risk assessment of risk management; and development of adaptive and flexible regulatory systems. The authors encourage both cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to address their 10 recommendations: 1) adopt ecosystem services as a common currency for risk assessment and management; 2) consider cumulative stressors (chemical and nonchemical) and determine which dominate to best manage and restore ecosystem services; 3) fully integrate risk managers and communities of interest into the risk-assessment process; 4) fully integrate risk assessors and communities of interest into the risk-management process; 5) consider socioeconomics and increased transparency in both risk assessment and risk management; 6) recognize the ethical rights of humans and ecosystems to an adequate level of protection; 7) determine relevant reference conditions and the proper ecological context for assessments in human-modified systems; 8) assess risks and benefits to humans and the ecosystem and consider unintended consequences of management actions; 9) avoid excessive conservatism or possible underprotection resulting from sole reliance on binary, numerical benchmarks; and 10) develop adaptive risk-management and regulatory goals based on ranges of uncertainty. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:7-16. © 2016 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Eva Boegh
- Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - John J Clague
- Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Khuong V Dinh
- Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Neelke Doorn
- Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Charles Hazlerigg
- Enviresearch, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | | | | | - Yan Lin
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo, Norway
| | - Susana Loureiro
- Department of Biology & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | | | - Wayne R Munns
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, Rhode Island
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Maciej Zalewski
- European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology (Polish Academy of Sciences), Lodz, Poland
| | - Peter M Chapman
- Chapema Environmental Strategies, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Cornelissen G, Schaanning M, Gunnarsson JS, Eek E. A large-scale field trial of thin-layer capping of PCDD/F-contaminated sediments: Sediment-to-water fluxes up to 5 years post-amendment. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016; 12:216-21. [PMID: 26012529 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.1665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Revised: 04/14/2015] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The longer-term effect (3-5 y) of thin-layer capping on in situ sediment-to-surface water fluxes was monitored in a large-scale field experiment in the polychlorinated dibenzodioxin and dibenzofuran (PCDD/F) contaminated Grenlandfjords, Norway (4 trial plots of 10,000 to 40,000 m(2) at 30 to 100 m water depth). Active caps (designed thickness 2.5 cm) were established in 2 fjords, consisting of dredged clean clay amended with powdered activated carbon (PAC) from anthracite. These active caps were compared to 2 nonactive caps in one of the fjords (designed thickness 5 cm) consisting of either clay only (i.e., without PAC) or crushed limestone. Sediment-to-water PCDD/F fluxes were measured in situ using diffusion chambers. An earlier study showed that during the first 2 years after thin-layer capping, flux reductions relative to noncapped reference fields were more extensive at the fields capped with nonactive caps (70%-90%) than at the ones with PAC-containing caps (50%-60%). However, the present work shows that between 3 and 5 years after thin-layer capping, this trend was reversed and cap effectiveness in reducing fluxes was increasing to 80% to 90% for the PAC caps, whereas cap effectiveness of the nonactive caps decreased to 20% to 60%. The increasing effectiveness over time of PAC-containing "active" caps is explained by a combination of slow sediment-to-PAC mass transfer of PCDD/Fs and bioturbation by benthic organisms. The decreasing effectiveness of "nonactive" limestone and clay caps is explained by deposition of contaminated particles on top of the caps. The present field data indicate that the capping efficiency of thin active caps (i.e., enriched with PAC) can improve over time as a result of slow diffusive PCDD/F transfer from sediment to PAC particles and better mixing of the PAC by bioturbation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard Cornelissen
- Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Environmental Engineering, Oslo, Norway
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Institute for Environmental Sciences (IMV), Ås, Norway
- Department of Analytical Chemistry and Environmental Sciences (ACES), Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Morten Schaanning
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Marine Contaminants, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jonas S Gunnarsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Espen Eek
- Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Environmental Engineering, Oslo, Norway
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Samuelsson GS, Hedman JE, Elmquist Kruså M, Gunnarsson JS, Cornelissen G. Capping in situ with activated carbon in Trondheim harbor (Norway) reduces bioaccumulation of PCBs and PAHs in marine sediment fauna. Mar Environ Res 2015; 109:103-12. [PMID: 26121661 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2015.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2014] [Revised: 05/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2015] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Three types of thin-layer caps with activated carbon (AC) were tested in situ in experimental plots (10 × 10 m) in Trondheim harbor, Norway, using AC + clay, AC-only or AC + sand. One year after capping, intact sediment cores were collected from the amended plots for ex situ surveys of the capping efficiency in reducing the PAH and PCB aqueous concentrations and bioaccumulation by the polychaete Hediste diversicolor and the clam Abra nitida. Reduced pore water concentrations were observed in all AC treatments. The capping efficiency was in general AC + clay > AC-only > AC + sand. AC + clay reduced bioaccumulation of PAH and PCB congeners between 40% and 87% in the worms and between 67% and 97% in the clams. Sediment capped with AC-only also led to reduced bioaccumulation of PCBs, while AC + sand showed no reduction in bioaccumulation. Thus the best thin-layer capping method in this study was AC mixed with clay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Göran S Samuelsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Jenny E Hedman
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marie Elmquist Kruså
- Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), P.O. Box 3930 Ullevål Stadium, N-0806 Oslo, Norway
| | - Jonas S Gunnarsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gerard Cornelissen
- Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), P.O. Box 3930 Ullevål Stadium, N-0806 Oslo, Norway; Institute for Environmental Science (IMV), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), 1432 Ås, Norway; Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
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Mena F, Azzopardi M, Pfennig S, Ruepert C, Tedengren M, Castillo LE, Gunnarsson JS. Use of cholinesterase activity as a biomarker of pesticide exposure used on Costa Rican banana plantations in the native tropical fish Astyanax aeneus (Günther, 1860). J Environ Biol 2014; 35:35-42. [PMID: 24579519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
In Costa Rica, thousands of tones of agricultural pesticides have been used for decades and their use is continuously increasing due to intensive and expanding production of coffee, pineapple, rice, ornamental plants and bananas. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether choline esterase (ChE) activity could be used as a biomarker of exposure to pesticides in the Costa Rican native fish Astyanax aeneus (characidae). Three methods used in order to evaluate the ChE biomarker were as follows: Laboratory studies where A. aeneus was exposed to organophosphate pesticide (ethoprophos); In situ 48 hr exposure assessment using caging experiments with fish exposed upstream and downstream of banana plantations and ChE activity estimation of in fish captured directly at sites with different degrees of pesticide exposure. Results from the laboratory studies showed that ChE activity in both brain and muscle tissue was significantly lower in fish exposed to ethoprophos than in controls. Fish from the caging experiments showed no difference in ChE activity neither in brain nor in muscle tissue between the four tested sites and was attributed to the short duration of the exposure. Asignificant difference in ChE activity was determined in muscle of fish captured from Laguna Madre de Dios compared to fish from Canal Batán. Although our laboratory results revealed that ChE activity in A. aeneus was highly responsive to ethoprophos, results from field experiments were less conclusive and showed that the captured fish showed large variability in ChE activity and that more research is needed before ChE activity can be used as reliable biomarker of pesticide exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Mena
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances/Instituto Regional de Estudios en Sustancias Tóxicas (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Campus Omar Dengo, 86-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica.
| | - M Azzopardi
- Department of Systems Ecology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - S Pfennig
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances/Instituto Regional de Estudios en Sustancias Tóxicas (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Campus Omar Dengo, 86-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - C Ruepert
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances/Instituto Regional de Estudios en Sustancias Tóxicas (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Campus Omar Dengo, 86-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - M Tedengren
- Department of Systems Ecology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - L E Castillo
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances/Instituto Regional de Estudios en Sustancias Tóxicas (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Campus Omar Dengo, 86-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - J S Gunnarsson
- Department of Systems Ecology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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Diepens NJ, Pfennig S, Van den Brink PJ, Gunnarsson JS, Ruepert C, Castillo LE. Effect of pesticides used in banana and pineapple plantations on aquatic ecosystems in Costa Rica. J Environ Biol 2014; 35:73-84. [PMID: 24579523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Current knowledge on fate and effect of agricultural pesticides comes is mainly from temperate ecosystems. More studies are needed in tropical systems in order to assess contamination risks to nontarget endemic tropical species from the extensive use of pesticides e.g. in banana and pineapple plantations. In this study, acute laboratory toxicity tests with organophosphate pesticides ethoprophos and chlorpyrifos were conducted on two Costa Rican species, cladoceran Daphnia ambigua and fish Parachromis dovii. Tests showed that chlorpyrifos was more toxic than ethoprophos to D. ambigua and P. dovii and that D. ambigua was also more sensitive than P. dovii to both pesticides. Additionally, bioassays were performed by exposing D. magna and P. dovii to contaminated water collected from the field. Chemical analyses of field water revealed that fungicides were generally the most frequent pesticide group found, followed by insecticides/nematicides and herbicides. The bioassays and values obtained from the literature confirmed that D. magna was more sensitive to pesticide contamination than P. dovii and that D. ambigua was more sensitive than D. magna, suggesting that the native cladoceran is a more suitable test species than its temperate counterpart. Species sensitivity distributions showed no significant difference in sensitivity between tropical and temperate fish and the arthropod species exposed to chlorpyrifos in this study. Choline esterase activity (ChE) was measured in P. dovii in laboratory tests in order to assess the applicability of this biomarker. ChE inhibition in P. dovii was observed in the laboratory at levels below the LC10 of both ethoprophos and chlorpyrifos, confirming that ChE is an efficient biomarker of exposure. Both indigenous Costa Rican species used in this study were found to be suitable standard tropical test species. Further studies are needed to investigate how protective the safe environmental concentrations, derived from LC50 of native tropical species, are for protecting tropical aquatic natural communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noël J Diepens
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia 83-3000, Costa Rica.
| | - Sascha Pfennig
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia 83-3000, Costa Rica
| | - Paul J Van den Brink
- Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jonas S Gunnarsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm SE-106 91, Sweden
| | - Clemens Ruepert
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia 83-3000, Costa Rica
| | - Luisa E Castillo
- Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances (IRET), Universidad Nacional, Heredia 83-3000, Costa Rica
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Cornelissen G, Amstaetter K, Hauge A, Schaanning M, Beylich B, Gunnarsson JS, Breedveld GD, Oen AMP, Eek E. Large-scale field study on thin-layer capping of marine PCDD/F-contaminated sediments in Grenlandfjords, Norway: physicochemical effects. Environ Sci Technol 2012; 46:12030-7. [PMID: 23046183 DOI: 10.1021/es302431u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
A large-scale field experiment on in situ thin-layer capping was carried out in the polychlorinated dibenzodioxin and dibenzofuran (PCDD/F) contaminated Grenlandsfjords, Norway. The main focus of the trial was to test the effectiveness of active caps (targeted thickness of 2.5 cm) consisting of powdered activated carbon (AC) mixed into locally dredged clean clay. Nonactive caps (targed thickness of 5 cm) consisting of clay without AC as well as crushed limestone were also tested. Fields with areas of 10,000 to 40,000 m(2) were established at 30 to 100 m water depth. Auxiliary shaken laboratory batch experiments showed that 2% of the applied powdered AC substantially reduced PCDD/F porewater concentrations, by >90% for tetra-, penta- and hexa-clorinated congeners to 60-70% for octachlorinated ones. In-situ AC profiles revealed that the AC was mixed into the sediment to 3 to 5 cm depth in 20 months. Only around 25% of the AC was found inside the pilot fields. Sediment-to-water PCDD/F fluxes measured by in situ diffusion chambers were significantly lower at the capped fields than at reference fields in the same fjord, reductions being largest for the limestone (50-90%) followed by clay (50-70%), and the AC + clay (60%). Also reductions in overlying aqueous PCDD/F concentrations measured by passive samplers were significant in most cases (20-40% reduction), probably because of the large size of the trial fields. The AC was less effective in the field than in the laboratory, probably due to prolonged sediment-to-AC mass transfer times for PCDD/Fs and field factors such as integrity of the cap, new deposition of contaminated sediment particles, and bioturbation. The present field data indicate that slightly thicker layers of limestone and dredged clay can show as good physicochemical effectiveness as thin caps of AC mixed with clay, at least for PCDD/Fs during the first two years after cap placement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard Cornelissen
- Environmental Engineering, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, P.O Box 3930 Ullevaal, NO-0806 Oslo, Norway.
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Josefsson S, Schaanning M, Samuelsson GS, Gunnarsson JS, Olofsson I, Eek E, Wiberg K. Capping efficiency of various carbonaceous and mineral materials for in situ remediation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran contaminated marine sediments: sediment-to-water fluxes and bioaccumulation in boxcosm tests. Environ Sci Technol 2012; 46:3343-51. [PMID: 22339559 DOI: 10.1021/es203528v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The efficiency of thin-layer capping in reducing sediment-to-water fluxes and bioaccumulation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans, hexachlorobenzene, and octachlorostyrene was investigated in a boxcosm experiment. The influence of cap thickness (0.5-5 cm) and different cap materials was tested using a three-factor experimental design. The cap materials consisted of a passive material (coarse or fine limestone or a marine clay) and an active material (activated carbon (AC) or kraft lignin) to sequester the contaminants. The cap thickness and the type of active material were significant factors, whereas no statistically significant effects of the type of passive material were observed. Sediment-to-water fluxes and bioaccumulation by the two test species, the surface-dwelling Nassarius nitidus and the deep-burrowing Nereis spp., decreased with increased cap thickness and with addition of active material. Activated carbon was more efficient than lignin, and a ~90% reduction of fluxes and bioaccumulation was achieved with 3 cm caps with 3.3% AC. Small increases in fluxes with increased survival of Nereis spp. indicated that bioturbation by Nereis spp. affected the fluxes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Josefsson
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
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Josefsson S, Leonardsson K, Gunnarsson JS, Wiberg K. Influence of contaminant burial depth on the bioaccumulation of PCBs and PBDEs by two benthic invertebrates (Monoporeia affinis and Marenzelleria spp.). Chemosphere 2011; 85:1444-1451. [PMID: 21924758 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2011] [Revised: 06/30/2011] [Accepted: 08/06/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The bioaccumulation of buried polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) added to specific depths in sediment (2.0-2.5, 5.0-5.5 and 10.0-10.5cm) was studied in two infaunal species with similar feeding habits (surface deposit-feeders) but different bioturbation modes. The deep-burrowing polychaetes Marenzelleria spp. (Mz) displayed up to 36 times higher tissue concentrations of buried (spiked) contaminants than the surface-dwelling biodiffusing amphipod Monoporeia affinis. The differences in bioaccumulation were most pronounced for less hydrophobic contaminants due to the bioirrigating activity of Mz. Contaminants buried at shallow depths displayed higher accumulation than more deeply buried contaminants. In contrast, the bioaccumulation of unspiked (native) contaminants with a uniform vertical distribution in the sediment was similar between the species. For Mz, the BSAFs increased with increased K(OW) for the uniformly distributed contaminants, but decreased for the buried contaminants, which indicates that the dominant uptake routes of the buried contaminants can differ from the uniformly distributed contaminants. The surface sediment concentration of buried contaminants increased in Mz treatments, showing that Mz bioturbation can remobilize historically buried contaminants to the biologically active surface layer and increase the exposure for surface-dwelling species.
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Cornelissen G, Kruså ME, Breedveld GD, Eek E, Oen AMP, Arp HPH, Raymond C, Samuelsson G, Hedman JE, Stokland Ø, Gunnarsson JS. Remediation of contaminated marine sediment using thin-layer capping with activated carbon--a field experiment in Trondheim harbor, Norway. Environ Sci Technol 2011; 45:6110-6. [PMID: 21671651 DOI: 10.1021/es2011397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
In situ amendment of contaminated sediments using activated carbon (AC) is a recent remediation technique, where the strong sorption of contaminants to added AC reduces their release from sediments and uptake into organisms. The current study describes a marine underwater field pilot study in Trondheim harbor, Norway, in which powdered AC alone or in combination with sand or clay was tested as a thin-layer capping material for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-contaminated sediment. Several novel elements were included, such as measuring PAH fluxes, no active mixing of AC into the sediment, and the testing of new manners of placing a thin AC cap on sediment, such as AC+clay and AC+sand combinations. Innovative chemical and biological monitoring methods were deployed to test capping effectiveness. In situ sediment-to-water PAH fluxes were measured using recently developed benthic flux chambers. Compared to the reference field, AC capping reduced fluxes by a factor of 2-10. Pore water PAH concentration profiles were measured in situ using a new passive sampler technique, and yielded a reduction factor of 2-3 compared to the reference field. The benthic macrofauna composition and biodiversity were affected by the AC amendments, AC + clay having a lower impact on the benthic taxa than AC-only or AC + sand. In addition, AC + clay gave the highest AC recoveries (60% vs 30% for AC-only and AC + sand) and strongest reductions in sediment-to-water PAH fluxes and porewater concentrations. Thus, application of an AC-clay mixture is recommended as the optimal choice of the currently tested thin-layer capping methods for PAHs, and more research on optimizing its implementation is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard Cornelissen
- Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), P.O. Box 3930 Ullevål Stadium, N-0806 Oslo, Norway.
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Josefsson S, Leonardsson K, Gunnarsson JS, Wiberg K. Bioturbation-driven release of buried PCBs and PBDEs from different depths in contaminated sediments. Environ Sci Technol 2010; 44:7456-7464. [PMID: 20831254 DOI: 10.1021/es100615g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Bioturbation can remobilize previously buried contaminants, leading to an increased exposure of aquatic biota. The remobilization of buried polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) from three different sediment depth layers (2.0-2.5 cm, 5.0-5.5 cm, and 10.0-10.5 cm) was studied in a laboratory experiment with two benthic macrofauna species, the amphipod Monoporeia affinis and the polychaete Marenzelleria spp. Remobilization of PCBs and PBDEs was significantly higher in the presence of Marenzelleria spp. than in M. affinis treatments and controls (without macrofauna). The highest remobilization occurred from the most shallow layers (2.0-2.5 cm > 5.0-5.5 cm > 10.0-10.5 cm), but contaminants were remobilized due to bioturbation from layers down to at least 10 cm. Congeners with lower hydrophobicity were remobilized to a higher extent than more hydrophobic congeners. The contaminant distribution between the particulate and the dissolved phase in the water column depended on hydrophobicity and burial depth of the contaminant, with congeners from deeper layers displaying an increased distribution to the particulate phase. Release fluxes and sediment-to-water mass transfer coefficients (MTCs) show that bioturbation by the polychaete Marenzelleria spp. can lead to a significant remobilization of buried contaminants from Baltic Sea sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Josefsson
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
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Näslund J, Nascimento FJA, Gunnarsson JS. Meiofauna reduces bacterial mineralization of naphthalene in marine sediment. ISME J 2010; 4:1421-30. [DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2010.63] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Hedman JE, Tocca JS, Gunnarsson JS. Remobilization of polychlorinated biphenyl from Baltic Sea sediment: comparing the roles of bioturbation and physical resuspension. Environ Toxicol Chem 2009; 28:2241-2249. [PMID: 19499969 DOI: 10.1897/08-576.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2008] [Accepted: 05/19/2009] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The release of a [¹⁴C]-labeled tri-chloro-biphenyl compound ([¹⁴C]PCB 32) from sediment to water was quantified weekly in a 30 d microcosm experiment with re-circulating water. Two modes of bioturbation-driven PCB release: 1) bioturbation by the amphipod Monoporeia affinis (a particle bio-diffuser) and 2) bioturbation by the polychaete Marenzelleria sp. (a bio-irrigator) were compared to the PCB release caused by physical sediment resuspension generated by a motor-driven paddle, used twice a week. Bioturbation by the amphipod M. affinis caused a significantly higher remobilization of both particle-associated (PCBpart) and dissolved PCB (PCBdiss) than the other treatments. Bioturbation by Marenzelleria sp. and physical resuspension caused a similar release of PCBdiss despite a significantly higher amount of total suspended solids in the water column after physical resuspension. In all treatments, the release of PCBdiss was more than one order of magnitude higher than of PCBpart, indicating a significant potential exposure route to pelagic organisms, such as fish, of the most bioavailable PCB form. Calculated mass transfer coefficients (0.3-1.3 cm/d) correspond to previously reported values for tri-chlorinated PCBs. Results from this experiment indicate that biological reworking of sediments can be just as, or even more, important than physical resuspension for the remobilization of sediment-bound contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny E Hedman
- Department of Systems Ecology, Stockholm University, S-10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
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Thorsson MH, Hedman JE, Bradshaw C, Gunnarsson JS, Gilek M. Effects of settling organic matter on the bioaccumulation of cadmium and BDE-99 by Baltic Sea benthic invertebrates. Mar Environ Res 2008; 65:264-281. [PMID: 18155760 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2007.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2007] [Revised: 11/07/2007] [Accepted: 11/12/2007] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Settling organic matter (OM) is the major food source for heterotrophic benthic fauna. The high sorption affinity of many contaminants for OM implies that OM can influence both the distribution and bioavailability of contaminants. Here, we experimentally examine the role of settling OM of various nutritional qualities on the bioaccumulation of cadmium and the flame retardant BDE-99 by three benthic invertebrates; Macoma balthica, Monoporeia affinis and Marenzelleria sp. Contaminants were associated with three types of OM; a microalgae (Tetraselmis spp.), lignin and sediment. Bioaccumulation of Cd was proportional to OM nutritional quality for all three species, and was species-specific in the order Marenzelleria>M. balthica>M. affinis. BDE-99 bioaccumulation was highest in the treatment with the most nutritious OM (Tetraselmis). Consequently, both benthic species composition and the nutritive value of organic matter settling to the seafloor can have a substantial effect on the bioaccumulation of both metals and organic contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria H Thorsson
- School of Life Sciences, Södertörn University College, SE-141 89 Huddinge, Sweden
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Granberg ME, Gunnarsson JS, Hedman JE, Rosenberg R, Jonsson P. Bioturbation-driven release of organic contaminants from Baltic Sea sediments mediated by the invading polychaete Marenzelleria neglecta. Environ Sci Technol 2008; 42:1058-1065. [PMID: 18351072 DOI: 10.1021/es071607j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Baltic Sea sediments are among the world's most polluted regarding eutrophication and contamination. Eutrophication-induced hypoxia has caused depletion of bioturbating macrofauna in vast areas, producing laminated sediments. We investigated if reoxygenation and colonization by the invading deep-burrowing polychaete Marenzelleria neglecta may cause an augmented contaminant release from Baltic Sea sediments. Intact laminated sediment cores were exposed either to in situ hypoxia, reoxygenation, or reoxygenation combined with bioturbating M. neglecta. The release fluxes of particle-associated (N(Pat)) and dissolved (N(Diss)) PCBs and chlorinated pesticide residues (POPs) were quantified (GC-ECD) after 85 d along with contaminant concentrations in sediment and biota. Lavoisier-based mass transfer coefficients (Kf) were calculated from N(Diss). Sediment contaminant concentrations were high (sigmaPCB7: 42-52 ng g(sediment)(-1) dw) due to emissions from Stockholm. N(Diss) always exceeded N(Part) by an order of magnitude. Bioturbation enhanced N(Diss) and Kf from hypoxic sediments 0.7-3 times while reoxygenation alone had no significant effect. M. neglecta accumulated low amounts of contaminants but significantly stimulated aquatic release of bioavailable sequestered contaminants. Bioturbation should be included in aquatic contaminant fate models. We advise to consider quiescent pollutant sources and possible ecological shifts when aiming to restore eutrophicated aquatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria E Granberg
- Goteborg University, Department of Marine Ecology, Kristineberg Marine Research Station, 450 34 Fiskebäckskil, Sweden.
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Hecht SA, Gunnarsson JS, Boese BL, Lamberson JO, Schaffner C, Giger W, Jepson PC. Influences of sedimentary organic matter quality on the bioaccumulation of 4-nonylphenol by estuarine amphipods. Environ Toxicol Chem 2004; 23:865-873. [PMID: 15095881 DOI: 10.1897/03-220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Nonylphenol (NP) is a moderately persistent, hydrophobic chemical with endocrine-disrupting and acute narcotic effects in aquatic biota. Concern exists about the ultimate fate of NP in aquatic ecosystems and the potential for bioaccumulation by benthic biota from the sediment with the potential for further transfer to higher trophic levels. Our goals were to determine if benthic amphipods bioaccumulate significant amounts of NP from sediment and to determine how additions of organic matter influence NP bioaccumulation by amphipods. Estuarine sediment was spiked with 14C-NP and enriched with two types of organic carbon (OC) sources of different nutritional qualities. Macrophytic algae (Ulva species) were used as a labile and nutritious OC source. Wood lignins were used as a refractory and low-nutrition OC source. Nonylphenol bioaccumulation was measured in Eohaustorius estuarius, Grandidierella japonica, and Corophium salmonis after 16 d of exposure. Nonylphenol accumulation was inversely proportional to OC quantity, but was unaffected by OC nutritional quality. Significant differences were found in the accumulation patterns between the three amphipod species. Mean biota-sediment accumulation factors ranged from 8.1 to 33.9 in E. estuarius, from 4.6 to 17.2 in G. japonica, and averaged 7.1 in male C. salmonis and 16.0 in female C. salmonis. These accumulation factors indicate that estuarine amphipods could constitute an important source of NP to higher trophic levels, such as juvenile fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott A Hecht
- Oregon State University-Hatfield Marine Science Center, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, 2030 Southeast Marine Science Drive, Newport, Oregon 97365, USA.
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