The chronic effects of oil pollution on marine phytoplankton in a subtropical bay, China

To evaluate the effects of crude oil water accommodated fraction (WAF) on marine phytoplankton community, natural phytoplankton collected seasonally from the Yueqing bay were exposed to eight groups of crude oil WAF for 15 days under laboratory conditions. Chlorophyll a and cell density were measured, and species of phytoplankton were identified every 24 h to reflect the change of phytoplankton community. The results showed that (1) High concentrations (??2.28 mg l^???1) of oil pollution would greatly restrain phytoplankton growth (p?< 0.001), decrease chlorophyll a content and cell density, whereas low concentrations (??1.21 mg l^???1) did not restrain its growth but rather promoted the phytoplankton growth. (2) The biodiversity, evenness, and species number of phytoplankton were all significantly influenced by crude oil WAF in all seasons (p?<?0.001). (3) The dominant species changes were different under different pollutant concentrations in different seasons. Different species had different tolerances to the oil pollution, thus leading to abnormal succession.     

Toxicity assessment for petroleum-contaminated soil using terrestrial invertebrates and plant bioassays

The assessment of soil quality after a chemical or oil spill and/or remediation effort may be measured by evaluating the toxicity of soil organisms. To enhance our understanding of the soil quality resulting from laboratory and oil field spill remediation, we assessed toxicity levels by using earthworms and springtails testing and plant growth experiments. Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH)-contaminated soil samples were collected from an oilfield in Sfax, Tunisia. Two types of bioassays were performed. The first assessed the toxicity of spiked crude oil (API gravity 32) in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development artificial soil. The second evaluated the habitat function through the avoidance responses of earthworms and springtails and the ability of Avena sativa to grow in TPH-contaminated soils diluted with farmland soil. The EC₅₀ of petroleum-contaminated soil for earthworms was 644 mg of TPH/kg of soil at 14 days, with 67 % of the earthworms dying after 14 days when the TPH content reached 1,000 mg/kg. The average germination rate, calculated 8 days after sowing, varied between 64 and 74 % in low contaminated soils and less than 50 % in highly contaminated soils.     

Phytoplankton variation and its relationship with the environmental factors in Nansi Lake, China

Nansi Lake is an important storage lake in the east route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China, about which there has been serious concern regarding the water quality. In this study, the phytoplankton taxonomic composition, abundance, temporal variations, spatial distribution, and diversity were studied based on a monthly sampling campaign from five sampling stations between January 2010 and December 2010. A total of 159 species (8 phyla, 79 genera), including 74 species of Chlorophyta, 36 species of Bacillariophyta, 19 species of Cyanophyta (including 2 water bloom causative species), 21 species of Euglenophyta, 3 species of Cryptophyta, 5 species of Xanthophyta, 2 species of Pyrrophyta, and 2 species of Chrysophyta, were identified. Average phytoplankton diversity index and evenness values were 4.33 and 0.81, respectively, revealing high biodiversity of phytoplankton community. The phytoplankton abundance averaged at 9.51?×?10⁶ cells L^?1 and was much higher than previous investigations carried out in 1983–1984. The dominant species were Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta in winter and spring, and Chlorophyta and Cyanophyta in summer and atutumn. There were 14 predominant species including Chlorella vulgaris, Cyclotella stelligera, Pseudanabaena limnetica, and Chroomonas acuta. Phytoplankton community structure and environmental variable changed substantially over the survey period. Redundancy Analysis was used to analyze the relationship between them. Temperature was considered to be the key factor driving the change in phytoplankton community composition in Nansi Lake during the 2010 study period.     

大庆库里泡浮游植物群落时空变化及其与环境因子的相关性

库里泡是黑龙江省大庆市重要的排污、泄洪湖库之一。近年来,由于大庆市生活及工业污水排放总量逐年增加,库里泡水体质量有所下降。为掌握库里泡浮游植物群落结构特征及水环境状况,于2019年春、夏、秋3季在库里泡共设置了13个采样点,对浮游植物群落及其与水环境变量的相关关系进行了研究。利用群落相似性分析(ANOSIM)检验浮游植物群落的组间及组内差异;采用相似性百分比(SIMPER)分析辨别对群落时空格局有显著影响的物种;通过冗余分析(RDA)确认环境变量及浮游植物优势种的生态分布特征,并对主要影响因子进行辨别。结果显示:研究期间共鉴定出浮游植物106种,隶属于6门8纲13目23科49属。库里泡的浮游植物群落组成为绿藻-硅藻型,而蓝藻、隐藻、甲藻、裸藻种类相对较少,占比仅为25%。其中,优势种有15种,主要为狭形纤维藻(Ankistrodesmus angustus)、四尾栅藻(Scenedesmus quadricauda)和梅尼小环藻(Cyclotella meneghiniana)等。ANOSIM和SIMPER分析结果表明,季节差异和生境差异对库里泡浮游植物群落结构的构建具有一定的驱动作用。RDA结果表明,影响库里泡浮游植物群落时空格局的主要环境变量为水温、总磷和总氮。营养状态指数评价结果显示,库里泡水质为中度富营养。经与近10年间的库里泡相关研究对比发现,库里泡水体浮游植物群落结构较为稳定,浮游植物优势类群略有改变。     

Seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton and its relationship with the environmental factors in Dongping Lake, China

Dongping Lake is the final adjusting and storing lake in the east route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China, and there has been serious concern regarding the water quality. Understanding the process of phytoplankton variation can be particularly useful in water quality improvement and management decisions. In this study, the phytoplankton taxonomic composition, abundance, temporal variations, spatial distribution, and diversity were studied based on a monthly sampling campaign from three sampling stations between May 2010 and May 2011. A total of 132 species (8 phyla, 72 genera), including 64 species of Chlorophyta, 26 species of Bacillariophyta, 21 species of Cyanophyta, 12 species of Euglenophyta, 3 species of Cryptophyta, 2 species of Xanthophyta, 1 species of Pyrrophyta, and 3 species of Chrysophyta were identified. Average phytoplankton diversity index and evenness values were 3.83 and 0.77, respectively, revealing a high biodiversity of phytoplankton community. The phytoplankton abundance averaged 5.11?×?10⁶ cells/L, with Bacillariophyta dominant in winter and spring, but Cyanophyta in summer and autumn. There were 14 predominant species including Pseudanabaena limnetica, Chlamydomonas simplex, Cyclotella stelligera, and Chroomonas acuta. Phytoplankton community structure and water quality variables changed substantially over the survey period; redundancy analysis, Pearson correlations, and regression analysis as an integrated approach were applied to analyze the relationships among them. Total phosphorus and ammonium played governing roles in the phytoplankton dynamics of Dongping Lake during all periods investigated.     

Total petroleum hydrocarbon distribution in soils and groundwater in Songyuan oilfield, Northeast China

In order to investigate the distribution of the total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in groundwater and soil, a total of 71 groundwater samples (26 unconfined groundwater samples, 37 confined groundwater samples, and 8 deeper confined groundwater samples) and 80 soil samples were collected in the Songyuan oilfield, Northeast China, and the vertical variation and spatial variability of TPH in groundwater and soil were assessed. For the groundwater from the unconfined aquifer, petroleum hydrocarbons were not detected in three samples, and for the other 23 samples, concentrations were in the range 0.01–1.74 mg/l. In the groundwater from the confined aquifer, petroleum hydrocarbons were not detected in two samples, and in the other 35 samples, the concentrations were 0.04–0.82 mg/l. The TPH concentration in unconfined aquifer may be influenced by polluted surface water and polluted soil; for confined aquifer, the injection wells leakage and left open hole wells may be mainly responsible for the pollution. For soils, the concentrations of TPH varied with sampling depth and were 0–15 cm (average concentration, 0.63 mg/g), >40–55 cm (average concentration, 0.36 mg/g), >100–115 cm (average concentration, 0.29 mg/g), and >500–515 cm (average concentration, 0.26 mg/g). The results showed that oil spillage and losses were possibly the main sources of TPH in soil. The consequences concluded here suggested that counter measures such as remediation and long-term monitoring should be commenced in the near future, and effective measures should be taken to assure that the oilfields area would not be a threat to human health.     

Prospective ecological risk assessment of sediment resuspension in an estuary

This study assesses potential ecological risk of resuspended sediment in the water column during the construction of a viaduct in the estuary of the Ulla river (Galicia, NW Iberian Peninsula), a shellfish production area. Chemical analyses and toxicity bioassays with elutriates were performed with sediments from the area where the three pillars of the viaduct will be located (CT1, CT2 and CT3) and a reference sediment (A2). Acute toxicity of the elutriate was evaluated in five species of three trophic levels (Isochrysis galbana, Paracentrotus lividus, Mytilus galloprovincialis, Venerupis pullastra and Siriella armata). The sediments of the pillars showed moderate levels of contamination by trace elements (Cu, Cr). Clam and sea urchin embryo-larval toxicity tests showed slightly higher sensitivity than mussel embryo tests, and toxicity was not detected for phytoplankton and mysid bioassays. The predicted no-effect environmental concentration (PNEC) was calculated from the arithmetic mean of the lowest calculated EC(50)s for each sampling site. The predicted environmental concentration (PEC) was estimated from a simple dilution model and the PEC/PNEC ratio was calculated according to different scenarios of resuspension. Negligible ecological risk in the water column is expected during construction of the pillars.     

Effectiveness and potential ecological effects of offshore surface dispersant use during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: a retrospective analysis of monitoring data

The Special Monitoring of Applied Response Technologies (SMART) program was used during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill as a strategy to monitor the effectiveness of sea surface dispersant use. Although SMART was implemented during aerial and vessel dispersant applications, this analysis centers on the effort of a special dispersant missions onboard the M/V International Peace, which evaluated the effectiveness of surface dispersant applications by vessel only. Water samples (n?=?120) were collected from background sites, and under naturally and chemically dispersed oil slicks, and were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (TPAHs), total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), and a chemical marker of Corexit® (dipropylene glycol n-butyl ether, DPnB). Water chemistry results were analyzed relative to SMART field assessments of dispersant effectiveness (“not effective,” “effective,” and “very effective”), based on in situ fluorometry. Chemistry data were also used to indirectly determine if the use of dispersants increased the risk of acute effects to water column biota, by comparison to toxicity benchmarks. TPAH and TPH concentrations in background, and naturally and chemically dispersed samples were extremely variable, and differences were not statistically detected across sample types. Ratios of TPAH and TPH between chemically and naturally dispersed samples provided a quantitative measure of dispersant effectiveness over natural oil dispersion alone, and were in reasonable agreement with SMART field assessments of dispersant effectiveness. Samples from “effective” and “very effective” dispersant applications had ratios of TPAH and TPH up to 35 and 64, respectively. In two samples from an “effective” dispersant application, TPHs and TPAHs exceeded acute benchmarks (0.81 mg/L and 8 μg/L, respectively), while none exceeded DPnB’s chronic value (1,000 μg/L). Although the primary goal of the SMART program is to provide near real-time effectiveness data to the response, and not to address concerns regarding acute biological effects, the analyses presented here demonstrate that SMART can generate information of value to a larger scientific audience. A series of recommendations for future SMART planning are also provided.     

Phytoplankton patterns along a series of small man-made reservoirs in Kenya

We studied nine small man-made reservoirs located in different climate regions of Kenya to get an insight into the relationship between phytoplankton community structure and its environment. The investigated ponds form three groups of three reservoirs each found in the rural areas of Machakos district, Mount Kenya region, and Lake Victoria area with varied climatic characteristics. The ponds were sampled in monthly intervals between May 2007 and June 2008 for physicochemical variables including water chemistry, phytoplankton community composition, zooplankton abundance, and bacterial numbers. All ponds were classified as hypertrophic. Seasonal changes were reflected in the phytoplankton pattern, as all ponds showed a community shift after the short dry season in February. Due to high nutrient loads and increased turbidity, Cyanobacteria, which were initially thought to be predominating in all investigated water bodies, were found to play only a minor role except for the Bomet reservoir in Lake Victoria region. Instead, Chloro- and Streptophyta, Dinophyta, and Euglenophyta were abundant in the pelagial. A principal component analysis explained around 85 % of the data variance with four principal components (PCs) interpreted as “location”, “ions”, “zooplankton”, and “particulate matter”. A clear separation of ponds with and without cattle access based on algal species community data was found indicating the need for a sustainable use and regular monitoring program as the local population is largely dependent on these sensitive small-scale ecosystems.     

Fluorescent screening of phytoplankton and organic compounds in sea water

The flow-through spectrofluorometers, FLUO-IMAGER, were developed to measure the abundance of phytoplankton, including the analysis of pigment composition and concentration of organic pollution and dissolved organic matter (DOM), in continuous mode. The measurements can be carried out without the time-consuming pretreatment of water samples. The analytical concept uses the technique of spectral fluorescent signatures (SFS), based on the systematized spectral library comprising the SFS of major phytoplankton species and chemical pollution. The SFS technique has been applied for several years in qualitative and quantitative screening of organic compounds and phytoplankton in the Baltic, North and Norwegian Seas. The results of the analysis of phytoplankton pigments, the dynamic processes of bloom development, DOM and oil pollution are presented.     

Mercury speciation in plankton from the Cabo Frio Bay,SE - Brazil

Mercury (Hg) is considered a global pollutant, and the scientific community has shown great concern about its toxicity as it may affect the biota of entire systems, through bioaccumulation and bioamplification processes of its organic form, methylmercury (MeHg), along food web. However, few research studies deal with bioaccumulation of Hg from marine primary producers and the first-order consumers. So, this study aims to determine Hg distribution and concentration levels in phytoplankton and zooplankton in the Cabo Frio Bay, Brazil, a site influenced by coastal upwelling. The results from Hg speciation analyses show that inorganic mercury Hg(II) was the predominant specie in plankton from this bay. The annual Hg species distribution in plankton shown mean concentration of 2.00?±?1.28 ng Hg(II)?g^?1 and 0.15?±?0.08 ng MeHg g^?1 wet weight (phytoplankton) and 2.5?±?2.03 ng Hg(II)?g^?1 and 0.25?±?0.09 ng MeHg g^?1 wet weight (zooplankton). Therefore, upwelling zones should be considered in the Hg biogeochemical cycle models as a process that enhances Hg(II) bioaccumulation in plankton, raising its bioavailability and shelf deposition.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations,mutagenicity, and Microtox® acute toxicity testing of Peruvian crude oil and oil-contaminated water and sediment

The oil industry is a major source of contamination in Peru, and wastewater and sediments containing oil include harmful substances that may have acute and chronic effects. This study determined polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations by GC/MS, mutagenicity using TA98 and TA100 bacterial strains with and without metabolic activation in the Muta-ChromoPlate? test, and Microtox® 5-min EC₅₀ values of Peruvian crude oil, and water and sediment pore water from the vicinity of San José de Saramuro on the Marañón River and Villa Trompeteros on the Corrientes River in Loreto, Peru. The highest total PAH concentration in both areas was found in water (Saramuro?=?210.15 μg/ml, Trompeteros?=?204.66 μg/ml). Total PAH concentrations in water from San José de Saramuro ranged from 9.90 to 210.15 μg/ml (mean?=?66.48 μg/ml), while sediment pore water concentrations ranged from 2.19 to 70.41 μg/ml (mean?=?24.33 μg/ml). All water samples tested from Saramuro and Trompeteros sites, and one out of four sediment pore water samples from Trompeteros, were found to be mutagenic (P?<?0.001). One sediment pore water sample in Saramuro was determined to have a measurable toxicity (Microtox EC₅₀?=?335.1 mg/l), and in Trompeteros, the EC₅₀ in water and sediment pore water ranged from 25.67 to 133.86 mg/l. Peruvian crude oil was mutagenic using the TA98 strain with metabolic activation, and the EC₅₀ was 17.18 mg/l. The two areas sampled had very high PAH concentrations that were most likely associated with oil activities, but did not lead to acute toxic effects. However, since most of the samples were mutagenic, it is thought that there is a greater potential for chronic effects.     

2014年于桥水库浮游植物群落与环境因子的关系

为研究于桥水库浮游植物群落结构及其与环境因子的关系,于2014年春夏季进行采样分析。两季共鉴定出浮游植物6门99种,其中绿藻门(Chlorophyta)62种,硅藻门(Diatoms)21种,蓝藻门(Cyanophyta)7种,裸藻门(Euglenophyta)4种,甲藻门(Pyrrophyta)2种,隐藻门(Cryptophyta)2种。春季浮游植物6门86种,第一优势种为绿藻门的四尾栅藻(Scenedesmus quadricauda);夏季浮游植物5门62种,第一优势种为蓝藻门的铜绿微囊藻(Microcystis aeruginosa)。春季浮游植物密度低于夏季,于桥水库浮游植物群落结构具有明显的季节变化规律。RDA分析结果表明,春季采样点的相似性高于夏季,透明度、水温、溶解氧和营养盐是影响于桥水库浮游植物群落组成的关键环境因子。     

Arsenic occurrence and accumulation in soil and water of eastern districts of Uttar Pradesh, India

Arsenic in the soil and water of eastern districts of Uttar Pradesh (Ballia and Ghazipur) was estimated. Survey results revealed that arsenic in soil samples ranged from 5.40 to 15.43 parts per million (ppm). In water samples, it ranged from 43.75 to 620.75 parts per billion (ppb) which far exceeded the permissible limit of 10 ppb as recommended by the World Health Organization. Maximum concentration of arsenic in water was found in Haldi village of Ballia (620.75 ppb). However, mean arsenic concentration in water followed the order: Karkatpur (257.21 ppb) < Haldi (310.15 ppb) < Sohaon (346.94 ppb) < Dharmarpur (401.75 ppb). In case of soil, maximum arsenic was detected in soil of Sohaon (15.43 ppm). Mean arsenic levels in soils followed the order: Karkatpur (9.24 ppm) < Haldi (9.82 ppm) < Dharmarpur (11.32 ppm) < Sohaon (14.08 ppm). Arsenic levels were higher in soils collected from 15–30 cm depth than 0–15 cm from the soil surface.     

汉江下游干支流浮游植物群落特征及其对水质的指示评价

浮游植物群落的动态变化可以全面、真实地反映水质的优劣,有利于了解水体污染状况的发展趋势.为及时掌握汉江下游水质变化,基于2019年3—12月汉江下游干流及主要支流浮游植物和水体理化指标监测数据,分析了浮游植物群落结构特征,并通过冗余分析研究了影响浮游植物群落结构的主要环境因子,同时运用浮游植物群落特征对汉江下游水质进行...     

Application of passive sampling on assessment of concentration distribution and health risk of volatile organic compounds at a high-tech science park

The objectives of this study are to investigate the volatile organic compound (VOC) distribution using passive samplers and to assess the resulting health risks in a high-tech science industrial park. With the advantages of passive sampling techniques, long-term and wide-area samples are collected. The results show TVOC concentrations in summer, fall, winter, and spring are 7.14?±?5.66 ppb, 18.17?±?5.81 ppb, 10.30?±?3.54 ppb, and 14.56?±?4.53 ppb, respectively; those on weekdays and weekends are 14.36?±?6.80 ppb and 9.87?±?4.86 ppb, respectively; and those in industrial and residential zones are 12.97?±?0.39 ppb and 11.13?±?0.68 ppb, respectively. Based on concentration variations, and benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene ratios, we can resolve the source origins. Health risks are assessed based on the resulting concentrations. In the case of non-cancer chronic effects, long-term exposure to these concentrations does not support there is a risk of adverse health effects. However, potential cancer risks of exposure to these concentrations may occur, especially to carbon tetrachloride and benzene. By applying this study’s procedures, information on VOC concentration distribution, source identification, and health assessment can be obtained and they are applicable to similar studies.     

三岔湖浮游植物四季群落结构变化

2008年5月—2009年4月对三岔湖浮游植物群落结构进行调查的结果显示,浮游植物有8门78属299种,浮游生物群落结构、优势种和密度有明显的季节变化。春末和夏季蓝藻占绝对优势,冬季和初春硅藻和绿藻占优势。浮游植物优势种有梅尼小环藻(Cyclotella meneghiniana)、尖针杆藻(Synedra acus Kutzing)、小舟形藻(Naviculaminima)、细小平裂藻(M erism opdeia minima)、湖泊鞘丝藻(Lyngbya lim netia)等。浮游植物优势种群和密度显示,湖区的水体已进入富营养状态。     

蠡湖综合整治十年来水环境变化的研究

对蠡湖2002-2012年湖体水质、富营养化状况和浮游植物种群进行了研究.结果表明,经过十年蠡湖综合整治工程,蠡湖水环境有了显著改善.TN、TP、NH3-N、CODMn和Chl-a浓度分别下降85.2％、70.4％、96.2％、55.3％和81.6％;TLI由70.9降至52.0,水体由中度富营养好转为轻度富营养;浮游植物种群结构有所演变,近二年种群结构呈现明显季节性差异,夏季蓝藻中的微囊藻成优势种,约占整个水体藻类密度的90％以上.蠡湖水质显著改善的同时,藻类水华情况未得到本质好转,在适宜的水文气象条件下易发生藻类水华.建议提高水体透明度,增加水体流动性,为进一步改善蠡湖水环境,乃至改善湖河小流域水环境起积极作用.     

Nutrient ratios and the complex structure of phytoplankton communities in a highly turbid estuary of Southeast Asia

Phytoplankton diversity and abundance in estuarine systems are controlled by many factors. Salinity, turbidity, and inorganic nutrient concentrations and their respective ratios have all been proposed as principal factors that structure phytoplankton diversity and influence the emergence of potentially toxic species. Although much work has been conducted on temperate estuaries, less is known about how phytoplankton diversity is controlled in tropical, monsoonal systems that are subject to large, seasonal shifts in hydrology and to rapidly changing land use. Here, we present the results of an investigation into the factors controlling phytoplankton species composition and distribution in a tropical, monsoonal estuary (Bach Dang estuary, North Vietnam). A total of 245 taxa, 89 genera from six algal divisions were observed. Bacillariophyceae were the most diverse group contributing to 51.4 % of the microalgal assemblage, followed by Dinophyceae (29.8 %), Chlorophyceae (10.2 %), Cyanophyceae (3.7 %), Euglenophyceae (3.7 %) and Dictyochophyceae (1.2 %). The phytoplankton community was structured by inorganic nutrient ratios (DSi:DIP and DIN:DIP) as well as by salinity and turbidity. Evidence of a decrease in phytoplankton diversity concomitant with an increase in abundance and dominance of certain species (e.g., Skeletonema costatum) and the appearance of some potentially toxic species over the last two decades was also found. These changes in phytoplankton diversity are probably due to a combination of land use change resulting in changes in nutrient ratios and concentrations and global change as both rainfall and temperature have increased over the last two decades. It is therefore probable in the future that phytoplankton diversity will continue to change, potentially favoring the emergence of toxic species in this system.     

污染治理前后小清河上游浮游植物群落变化与水质评价

为研究小清河污染治理前后浮游植物群落与水质变化,分别于2015年(治理前)和2020年(治理后)在小清河上游进行采样调查。调查结果显示,2015年样品中共检出浮游植物6门35种,2020年样品中共检出4门31种。配对样本t检验结果显示,污染治理前后的浮游植物种类、密度都发生了显著改变。相比治理前,治理后的硅藻门和绿藻门相对丰度分别上升了51.6个百分点和13.3个百分点,蓝藻门下降了62.9个百分点,小环藻(Cyclotella spp.)取代微囊藻(Microcysitis spp.)成为绝对优势种,群落类型由蓝藻型演替为硅藻型。相似性分析结果和相似度百分比分析结果表明,小清河上游群落特征发生显著改变。非度量多维标度分析结果显示,治理后的S2与S3采样点群落特征表现出差异,S4与S1采样点群落特征相似。通过冗余分析发现,治理后,TP、DO对浮游植物群落的影响明显减弱,TN、NH₃-N、pH是目前影响群落特征的主要指标,主城区氮磷污染对浮游植物的影响范围由S2、S3、S4采样点缩小到S2采样点。治理前后的小清河上游Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Pielou均匀度指数和Marglef丰富度指数存在显著差异。总体来看,治理后的小清河上游水质处于α-中污染状态,较治理前有明显改善。