Ecotoxicological evaluation of Harbour sediments using marine organisms from different trophic levels

Background, Aim and Scope  The toxicity of contaminated sediments should be evaluated considering the direct exposure of laboratory organisms to whole sediments and the indirect exposure to elutriates or extracts (Tay et al. 1992, Byrne and Halloran 1999, Nendza 2002). The alga Dunaliella tertiolecta is indicated for the use in toxicity bioassays because it is highly sensitive to several xenobiotics. Harpacticoid copepods have been already used for toxicity testing and Tigriopus fulvus is a promising Mediterranean target-species in ecotoxicology (Todaro et al. 2001, Faraponova et al. 2003, Pane et al. 2005a). In this study, the toxicity of sediments collected in harbour sites of the Northeastern Adriatic Sea was evaluated by growth inhibition test with free living and alginate-immobilized Dunaliella tertiolecta and acute toxicity test with nauplii and adult Tigriopus fulvus with the aim of pointing out the importance to utilize model organisms from different trophic levels in sediment ecotoxicology. Methodology  Elutriates and whole sediments were tested on free living and immobilized (Pane et al. 1998) algal cells, and on laboratory reared copepods. Free-living D. tertiolecta were exposed to diluted elutriates in a static, multi-well plate system. Naalginate immobilized D. tertiolecta were placed in polystyrene inserts fitted with polyester mesh bottoms and exposed to a thin layer (2 mm) of whole sediments in multi-well plates (EPS 1992, Pane and Bertino 1999). Toxicity tests with copepods were carried out on Tigriopus fulvus nauplii (elutriates) and adults (whole sediments and elutriates). Same-aged nauplii useful for toxicity tests were obtained by egg sac detaching and consequent hatching stimulation (Pane et al. 2006). Newborn nauplii (I–II stage) were exposed to elutriates in multi-well plates provided with polystyrene inserts. Adult T. fulvus maintained in polystyrene inserts fitted with polyester mesh bottoms were placed in contact with a thin layer (2 mm) of whole sediment placed on multi-well plate bottoms. All end-points were evaluated after 96 h. Results  In general, the effects increased with the increasing of elutriate concentration up to 50%; the stimulation or inhibition of algal growth was statistically significant in comparison to the control. The inhibiting elutriates induced EC₅₀ variations of algal growth ranging from 66.9% to 74.3%. The mortality of T. fulvus nauplii was always < 25% after treatment with 100% elutriates and < 10% after treatment with 50% dilution; no effect was shown up with 25% dilution; therefore LC₅₀ was not calculable. The effect of elutriates was negligible on adult copepods and LC₅₀ values were never calculable; percent mortality always resulted in < 10% after treatment with whole sediments. Discussion  Both experimental systems gave substantially similar results after exposition to whole sediments and elutriates. During the experiment with algal cells, the immobilization in Na-alginate and the employment of inserts which allowed the contact of organisms with sediments and their easy counting were particularly useful. Likewise, the employment of inserts of adequate mesh size in the tests with copepods allowed the contact of organisms with the sediment and made organism handling and counting easy, as well as the evaluation of mortality. The methodology here described and the utilization of the proposed test-species could have an importance also considering that the current trend in ecotoxicological research is towards finding the most appropriate organism for specific areas of concern by using indigenous species (Mariani et al. 2006) and towards the major significance of chronic and reproductive end-points. Conclusions  Based on the above results, it can be stated that the bioassay with Dunaliella tertiolecta could be a good estimation tool for the ecotoxicological assessment of marine sediments. The immobilization of algae in Na-alginate was seen to be useful to evaluate the toxicity of whole sediments; the employment of polystyrene inserts allowed an improvement of the procedures. T. fulvus nauplii and adults, as other harpacticoids such as Tigriopus japonicus (Yoon et al. 2006), satisfy the basic criteria for the employment of a standard species in marine bioassays. To date only pelagic Acartia tonsa are utilized in the standardized procedure to evaluate the risk assessment of chemicals or wastewaters (ISO 1999). As, on the contrary, the exposure of copepods to solid-phase contaminants it is not yet standardized, the employment of polystyrene inserts improved the procedures for T. fulvus too. So, the rapidity and the possibility to solve practical problems could be the main attractive features of this technique (Pane et al. 2005a) when applied to whole sediments. Recommendations and Perspectives  The methodology here developed being also applicable to long term and reproduction tests should be recommended because it provides relevant information in comparison with other frequently applied, standardized biotests with crustaceans (ISO 1999). The procedure has been shown to be easily applicable to selected marine organisms. ESS-Submission Editor: Prof. Dr. Henner Hollert (henner.hollert@bio5.rwth-aachen.de)     

Contamination history of suspended river sediments accumulated in oxbow lakes over the last 25 years

Background, aims, and scope  Embankment of meandering river systems in many industrial areas results in the formation of artificial oxbow lakes that may act as perennial or intermittent traps for river sediments. Their deposits can be dated using a combination of historical and stratigraphic data, providing a good means to study historical records of contamination transported by rivers. Contamination history over the last few decades is of special significance for Central and Eastern Europe as it can reflect high pollutant levels in the second half of the twentieth century and the subsequent improvement after the fall of the Iron Curtain. The purpose of this study was to investigate recent sediments of an oxbow lake of the Morava River, Czech Republic, their stratigraphic records, sediment architecture, and history of contamination. Materials and methods  Seven ground-penetrating radar (GPR) profiles and three sediment cores up to 4 m deep were studied. The stratigraphy of the cores was inferred from visible-light spectrophotometry, X-ray radiography, grain size analysis, and semiquantitative modal analysis of sandy fractions. The sediments were dated using the ¹³⁷Cs mass activity and combinations of stratigraphic and historical data. The cores were sampled for concentrations of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants. Wet sampled, lyophilized, and sieved sediments were extracted and analyzed for heavy metals by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) of aqua regia leachate and for persistent organic pollutants by gas chromatography (GC-ECD and GC-MS). Results  Three distinct sedimentary sequences (S1, S2, and S3) were identified. The basal sequence S1 represents river channel sediments deposited before the formation of the oxbow lake, most likely before the 1930s. The boundary between the S1 and S2 sequence correlates with the level of sediment dredging from 1981 evidenced from historical data. The overlying sequences S2 and S3 represent a postdredging sediment wedge, which progrades into the lake. ¹³⁷Cs dating revealed a distinct Chernobyl 1986 peak at ∼150 cm depth inferring sedimentation rates up to 7.7 cm/year. Sediment contamination abruptly increased from the pre-1930s deposits to the post-1981 deposits. The concentration levels increased two to five times for Pb, As, Zn, and Cu, about 10 to 15 times for Cr, Sb, and Hg, up to 34 times for Cd, and 25 to 67 times for DDTs, PCBs, and PAHs. The concentrations of most contaminants remained approximately constant until the late 1980s when they started to decrease slowly. The decreasing trends were most prominent for heavy metals and anthracene, less prominent for DDTs, and almost absent for PCBs and most PAHs. Discussion  Different temporal and spatial patterns for various contaminants make it possible to distinguish between anthropogenic point sources from local industry (anthracene, Cr, Cd), possible diffuse sources (most PAHs), and geological background (V, Co, Ni, and Mo). The observed recent trends in heavy metal and persistent organic pollutant contamination are generally consistent with data from other Central European rivers. The roughly balanced contamination levels in sediments from the lake and the adjacent river channel suggest that the oxbow lake deposits reflect immediate levels of the contamination bound to suspended particulate matter passing through the river. Conclusions  The investigated oxbow lake accumulated suspended sediment from Morava River, developing a thick sedimentary body. The sediments offer a good time framework to study historical contamination of the river on a decade time scale. Continuous contamination trends can be traced back to the early 1980s. The results show that stratigraphic analysis of cores has a good potential for identification of uninterrupted historical trends and unconformities, e.g., due to dredging. Recommendations and perspectives  Oxbow lakes may provide an alternative to floodplains and reservoir deposits when studying river contamination history. High sedimentation rates of up to 7.7 cm/year offer a very good stratigraphic resolution, making it possible to study contamination patterns on annual or even seasonal time scales. On the other hand, oxbow lakes may represent long-term contamination stores, which are unlikely to be redistributed by river erosion and, hence, may possess significant environmental risks for the farther future.     

Growth and biomass partitioning of nine provenances of Quillaja saponaria seedlings to water stress

Information on the morphological and physiological responses of seedlings to stressors, such as water stress, is required for successful early establishment of seedlings. We examined provenance variation in morphological and physiological traits of Quillaja saponaria Molina seeds from nine provenances representing a latitudinal transect across the species range in Chile. The seedlings were subjected to two water regimes (well-watered vs water restriction) in a nursery experiment, and growth, biomass, survival, and gas exchange traits were measured. As expected, well-watered seedlings exhibited a superior performance in all traits analysed. Provenance effects were significant for most of the morphological and physiological traits. In the growth and biomass analysis, the northernmost provenance showed the lowest survival, growth and dry biomass, whereas in the gas exchange analysis, the southern interior provenance showed the highest net photosynthesis, transpiration, stomatal conductance and water use efficiency. The interaction between water regimes and provenance was only significant for diameter and net photosynthesis. These results indicate that different provenances of Q. saponaria show a stable performance across different controlled drought conditions. This information is of relevance for sourcing seeds for the restoration of the species.     

贵州不同种源棕榈苗期生长性状比较及评价

为给贵阳地区棕榈人工造林的优良种源选择提供参考,以贵州省内遵义、毕节等18个市(县)的棕榈种子为试验材料,采用大田育苗的方法进行培育。对不同种源2年生棕榈苗的地上部分和地下部分的生长指标进行观测,并采用聚类分析法对棕榈种源进行类别划分,对其与种源地地理位置的相关性进行分析,采用主成分分析法对18个种源棕榈苗的生长性状进行综合评价。结果表明:不同种源2年生棕榈苗的高、地径、总根长、主根长、总根表面积、总根体积、根尖数及总生物量等指标均有显著差异(P<0.05),各指标的变幅分别为28.78~51.09cm、8.40~21.93mm、37.41~85.02cm、14.73~41.20cm、127.13~362.82cm2、5.52~19.55cm3、902~1536、4.64~12.32g。聚类分析结果表明,18个种源可分为2大类,其中罗甸、兴义、毕节为苗期生长性状表现较好的一类。相关性分析结果表明,原产地是低纬度和湿润地区的棕榈苗在试验区生长表现较好。主成分分析及综合得分排序的前3名分别为罗甸、兴义、毕节种源,与聚类分析结果一致。初步评价出罗甸、兴义和毕节种源为贵阳地区首选的棕榈种源。     

西伯利亚杏种实性状地理变异分析

为了了解不同种源西伯利亚杏种实性状地理变异规律,进而为优良繁殖材料的调拨、适宜栽培区和优良种源的选择提供参考依据,以我国西伯利亚杏天然分布区内19个地理种源的西伯利亚杏种实为研究对象,采用方差分析、相关分析等方法分析其种实性状的地理变异情况。结果表明:西伯利亚杏19个种源间种实性状存在丰富的遗传变异。其中,西伯利亚杏百粒核质量和百粒仁质量与其种实形态特征指标间均呈极显著的正相关关系(除百粒核质量与仁厚外);西伯利亚杏杏核越小,其出仁率越高;西伯利亚杏的出仁率随种源地纬度的增加而增加,随种源地海拔的增高而减少;杏仁的厚度与7月均温有着极为显著的正相关关系;西伯利亚杏杏核、杏仁的大小与质量指标和各种源地无霜期的长短均呈显著相关;日照时数越多,西伯利亚杏种仁积累的干物质则越多,其出仁率也就越高。     

不同种源丝栗栲种子性状变异

为了探讨丝栗栲(Castanopsis fargesii)种子的变异规律,对采自贵州省荔波县、都匀市和三都县3个地理种源13个家系的丝栗栲种子的长、宽、长宽比和百粒重进行对比分析。结果表明:3个不同地理种源的丝栗栲种子的种子长、种子宽、长宽比和种子百粒重的性状差异达到极显著水平;种源间各性状指标的变异幅度较大,分别为种子长0.176%～4.034%、种子宽1.443%～6.389%、长宽比1.392%～4.808%、百粒重2.773%～13.470%。荔波种源的各项指标变异系数均为最大,都匀种源各项指标的变异系数均为最小;各指标间均具有极显著相关性,种子长与种子宽、百粒重呈极显著正相关,与种子长宽比呈极显著负相关;种子宽与种子长宽比呈极显著负相关,与百粒重呈极显著正相关;种子长宽比与百粒重呈极显著负相关。3个种源中,都匀种源的综合指标最优,可作为优良种源进行良种培育。     

红砂优良种源选择及其地理变异规律

收集我国甘肃、宁夏、内蒙古等红砂天然分布区的23个种源的红砂种子,在武威市林业技术服务中心建立红砂种源试验。以23个种源的2 a、3 a生红砂苗木为研究材料,每个种源选取10个单株,测定叶片中可溶性蛋白(SP)、可溶性糖(SS)、脯氨酸(Pro)及叶绿素(Chl)相关指标,每个单株重复测3次。分析红砂苗期不同种源选择效果及其地理变异规律。结果表明:可溶性蛋白、可溶性糖、脯氨酸及叶绿素相关指标在23个红砂种源间存在丰富的变异,为优良种源的选择创造了条件。通过多重比较筛选出XGG(小甘沟)、ZZG1(扎子沟1)、ZZG2(扎子沟2)、JQGZ(酒泉瓜州)4个优良种源,入选率为17.39%。与其他种源相比较,XGG的可溶性糖含量在2 a和3 a生时都是最大,分别为13.13 mg·g~(-1)和15.54 mg·g~(-1);ZZG1的脯氨酸、叶绿素a、叶绿素b以及叶绿素(a+b)含量在3 a生时最大,依次为631.82μg·g~(-1)、595.40μg·g~(-1)、161.85μg·g~(-1)、757.25μg·g~(-1);ZZG2的脯氨酸含量在2 a和3 a生时排第2,为529.99μg·g~(-1)和622.87μg·g~(-1),叶绿素a/b值在3 a生时最大,为3.85;JQGZ的可溶性蛋白含量分别在2 a和3 a生时均最大,为9.63 mg·g~(-1)和7.66 mg·g~(-1)。通过相关性分析,发现红砂种源呈西北-东南抗旱性减弱的变异趋势。     

西拉木伦河流域地表沉积物粒度、化学元素分布特征

通过对内蒙古西拉木伦河流域沉积物的采样分析,结果表明:西拉木伦河地表沉积物的粒度组成以63~250μm粒径为主,粒度特征表现出一定的风成特点;化学组成以Si、Al为主,与上陆壳平均化学组成相比,除Si O_2、Co、As Ni、Ba、Ce等元素外,均处于不同程度的亏损;不同河段沉积物粒度参数、化学元素的分布具有一定相似性,且化学元素含量之间存在高度的相关性,均表明其具有相似的的物源;不同河段A-CN-K图解及CIA(化学蚀变指数)揭示了西拉木伦河不同河段地表物质化学风化程度均较低,处于较弱的去Na、Ca阶段。不同河段化学风化程度差异与其局地气候及地貌格局息息相关;不同地貌单元沉积物粒度组成、地球化学过程的递变规律与距河道远近、地貌、植被等因素有关;西拉木伦河平均粒径与一些元素的相关性,说明粒度和化学元素之间存在一定关系。总之,在不同空间尺度上,西拉木伦河地表沉积物理化特征的分异实质上反映了风动力和水动力的差异性分选。该研究对于构建风水两相沉积物综合判别指标等问题有着重要的意义。     

洞庭湖表层沉积物营养盐和重金属污染特征及生态风险评价

为探究洞庭湖表层沉积物中营养盐和重金属的空间分布特征与生态风险,2012年2月和2013年4月在东、南、西洞庭湖各取3个共计9个具有代表性样点的表层沉积物,测定其有机质（OM）、总氮（TN）、总磷（TP）、镉（Cd）、汞（Hg）、砷（As）、铅（Pb）和铬（Cr）的含量。结果表明,洞庭湖表层沉积物中 OM、TN 和 TP 的含量分别为1．48％～4．22％、382～2217 mg／kg 和142～716 mg／kg,与国内其他湖泊（水库）相比,OM和 TN 含量处于中等水平;OM和 TN 的空间分布相似,表现为南洞庭湖区＞东洞庭湖区＞西洞庭湖区,TP 表现为东洞庭湖区＞西洞庭湖区＞南洞庭湖区。洞庭湖表层沉积物中,Cd、Hg、As、Pb 和 Cr 的含量分别为0.60～20．70 mg／kg、0.090～0．640 mg／kg、10．4～83．7 mg／kg、16．9～95．8 mg／kg 和59．0～199．0 mg／kg,其中 Cd 和 As 超过土壤环境质量三级标准,是主要的重金属污染物;Cd 和 Hg 的空间分布相似,表现为南洞庭湖区＞西洞庭湖区＞东洞庭湖区;As、Pb 和 Cr 的空间分布相似,表现为南洞庭湖区＞东洞庭湖区＞西洞庭湖区。初步评价结果显示,除 TP 外,其余营养盐和重金属均具有引起较低生态风险的可能性,横岭湖和虞公庙的 Cd、As 和 Cr 以及洞庭湖出口的 Cr 具有引起较高生态风险的可能性;受 Cd 和 As 含量较高的影响,南洞庭湖区具有较高的生态风险。