Sediment toxicity testing using large water-sediment ratios: an alternative to water renewal

Deterioration of overlying water quality during toxicity tests with benthic invertebrates is a serious problem with some sediments. One solution is periodic renewal of overlying water. However, this is either labour intensive or requires construction and maintenance of special equipment. Furthermore, water renewal has the potential for flushing toxic chemicals out of the test chamber and establishes nonequilibrium conditions between the water and sediment. An alternative is testing under static conditions using atypical test vessels (e.g. Imhoff settling cones) with a large water volume (1 l) overlaying a much smaller sediment volume (e.g. 15 ml). This results in dramatic improvement of overlying water quality compared to standard static toxicity tests. Compared to water renewal, the test method is much simpler, all toxic substances leached from the sediment are retained in the test vessel, and contaminant concentrations in water and sediment have more time to equilibrate. Chronic sediment toxicity tests (10-28 days) have been conducted successfully under these conditions with Chironomus riparius, Hexagenia sp., Hyalella azteca and Tubifex tubifex.     

Test system for exposing fish to resuspended, contaminated sediment

We describe a new test system for exposing fish to resuspended sediments and associated contaminants. Test sediments were resuspended by revolving test chambers on rotating shafts driven by an electric motor. The timing, speed, and duration of test-chamber revolution were controlled by a rheostat and electronic timer. Each chamber held 45 litres of water and accommodated about 49 g of test fish. The system described had three water baths, each holding six test chambers. We illustrate the performance of this system with results from a 28-day test in which juvenile bluegills Lepomis macrochirus were exposed to resuspended, riverine sediments differing in texture and cadmium content. The test had one sediment-free control and five sediment treatments, with three replicates (chambers) per treatment and 25 fish per replicate. Two-thirds (30 litres) of the test water and sediment in each chamber was renewed weekly. The mean concentration of total suspended solids (TSS) did not vary among treatments; the grand-mean TSS in the five sediment treatments was 975 mg litre(-1), similar to the target TSS of 1000 mg litre(-1). At the end of the test, an average of 50% of the introduced cadmium was associated with the suspended sediment compartment, whereas the filtered (0.45 microm) water contained 0.4% and bluegills 1.8% of the cadmium.     

Testing sediment biological effects with the freshwater amphipod Hyalella azteca: the gap between laboratory and nature

The freshwater amphipod, Hyalella azteca, is widely used in laboratory sediment toxicity and bioaccumulation tests. However, its responses in the laboratory are probably very different from those in the field. A review of the literature indicates that in its natural habitat this species complex is primarily epibenthic, derives little nutrition from the sediments, and responds primarily to contaminants in the overlying water column (including water and food), not sediment or porewater. In laboratory sediment toxicity tests H. azteca is deprived of natural food sources such as algal communities on or above the sediments, and is subjected to constant light without any cover except that afforded by burial into the sediments. Under these constraining laboratory conditions, H. azteca has been reported to respond to sediment or porewater contamination. In nature, contamination of overlying water from sediment is less likely than in the laboratory because of the large, generally non-static sink of natural surface water. H. azteca does not appear to be the most appropriate test species for direct assessments of the bioavailability and toxicity of sediment contaminants, though it is probably appropriate for testing the toxicity of surface waters. Toxic and non-toxic responses will be highly conservative, though the latter are probably the most persuasive given the exposure constraints. Thus H. azteca is probably a suitable surrogate species for determining sediments that are likely not toxic to field populations; however, it is not suitable for determining sediments that are likely toxic to field populations.     

In situ bioassay chambers and procedures for assessment of sediment toxicity with Chironomus riparius

The purpose of this study was to develop an in situ sediment bioassay chamber and respective procedures, suitable for performing toxicity bioassays with benthic invertebrates, using the midge Chironomus riparius. It was also our objective to compare the responses obtained under controlled conditions (laboratory 10-day larval growth and survival test) with those obtained in situ. Clean sand and a formulated sediment were incorporated in the in situ bioassay, along with local sediments, as a way of minimizing natural variability due to physicochemical differences among sediments or due to interactions with indigenous organisms. Recovery of organisms was good (80-100% in the control and reference site), indicating that the developed chamber and protocol were suitable for exposing and retrieving C. riparius in situ. Results also showed differences between responses obtained with formulated and natural sediment in situ, as well as between laboratory and in situ.     

Contaminated sediments and bioassay responses of three macroinvertebrates, the midge larva Chironomus riparius, the water louse Asellus aquaticus and the mayfly nymph Ephoron virgo

Bioassays are widely used to estimate ecological risks of contaminated sediments. We compared the results of three whole sediment bioassays, using the midge larva Chironomus riparius, the water louse Asellus aquaticus, and the mayfly nymph Ephoron virgo. We used sediments from sixteen locations in the Dutch Rhine-Meuse Delta that differed in level of contamination. Previously developed protocols for each bioassay were followed, which differed in sediment pretreatment, replication, and food availability. The Chironomus bioassay was conducted in situ, whereas the other two were conducted in the laboratory. The measured endpoints, survival and growth, were related to contaminant levels in the sediment and to food quantity in water and sediment.

Only the response of A. aquaticus in the bioassay was correlated with sediment contamination. Food availability in overlying water was much more important for C. riparius and E. virgo, thereby masking potential sediment contaminant effects. We conclude that growth of A. aquaticus was depressed by sediment contamination, whereas growth of E. virgo and C. riparius was stimulated by seston food quantity. We discuss that the trophic state of the ecosystem largely affects the ecological risks of contaminated sediments.     

Influence of sediment on the fate and toxicity of a polyethoxylated tallowamine surfactant system (MON 0818) in aquatic microcosms

The fate and toxicity of a polyethoxylated tallowamine (POEA) surfactant system, MON 0818, was evaluated in water-sediment microcosms during a 4-d laboratory study. A surfactant solution of 8 mg l(-1) nominal concentration was added to each of nine 72-l aquaria with or without a 3-cm layer of one of two natural sediments (total organic carbon (TOC) 1.5% or 3.0%). Control well water was added to each of nine additional 72-l aquaria with or without sediment. Water samples were collected from the microcosms after 2, 6, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h of aging to conduct 48-h toxicity tests with Daphnia magna and to determine surfactant concentrations. Elevated mortality of D. magna (43-83%) was observed in overlying water sampled from water-only microcosms throughout the 96-h aging period, whereas elevated mortality (23-97%) was only observed in overlying water sampled from water-sediment microcosms during the first 24h of aging. Measured concentrations of MON 0818 in water-only microcosms remained relatively constant (4-6 mg l(-1)) during the 96-h period, whereas the concentrations in overlying water from microcosms containing either of the two types of sediment dissipated rapidly, with half-lives of 13 h in the 3.0% TOC sediment and 18 h in the 1.5% TOC sediment. Both toxicity and the concentration of MON 0818 in overlying water decreased more rapidly in microcosms containing sediment with the higher percent TOC and clay and with a higher microbial biomass. Mortality of D. magna was significantly correlated with surfactant concentrations in the overlying water. These results indicate that the toxicity of the POEA surfactant in water rapidly declines in the presence of sediment due to a reduction in the surfactant concentration in the overlying water above the sediment.     

A laboratory study of sediment and contaminant release during gas ebullition

Significant quantities of gas are generated from labile organic matter in contaminated sediments. The implications for the gas generation and subsequent release of contaminants from sediments are unknown but may include enhanced direct transport such as pore water advection and diffusion. The behavior of gas in sediments and the resulting migration of a polyaromatic hydrocarbon, viz phenanthrene, were investigated in an experimental system with methane injection at the base of a sediment column. Hexane above the overlying water layer was used to trap any phenanthrene migrating out of the sediment layer. The rate of suspension of solid particulate matter from the sediment bed into the overlying water layer was also monitored. The experiments indicated that significant amounts of both solid particulate matter and contaminant can be released from a sediment bed by gas movement with the amount of release related to the volume of gas released. The effective mass transfer coefficient of gas bubble-facilitated contaminant release was estimated under field conditions, being around three orders of magnitude smaller than that of bioturbation. A thin sand-capping layer (2 cm) was found to dramatically reduce the amount of contaminant or particles released with the gas because it could prevent or at least reduce sediment suspension. Based on the experimental observations, gas bubble-facilitated contaminant transport pathways for both uncapped and capped systems were proposed. Sediment cores were sliced to obtain phenanthrene concentration. X-ray computed tomography (CT) was used to investigate the void space distribution in the sediment penetrated by gas bubbles. The results showed that gas bubble migration could redistribute the sediment void spaces and may facilitate pore water circulation in the sediment.     

城市富营养化水体底泥净化磷效果

以城市富营养化水体底泥和上覆水为材料,研究了扰动状态下底泥对外源磷的净化效果。结果表明,扰动状态下,200 g湿底泥从上覆水中共吸收外源磷19.92 mg,而静止状态下,200 g湿底泥仅吸收了13.61 mg。然而,厌氧状态下,前者内源磷释放量仅占吸收磷量的43%,而后者则高达63.4%。说明底泥扰动不仅强化了底泥对外源磷的吸收,而且也强化了内源磷的固定能力。这与扰动状态下外源磷在不同形态磷间的数量分布有关。底泥扰动和静止状态下,难释放态磷(HCl-P、闭蓄态Fe/Al-P)的增加量分别占底泥吸收外源磷量的36%和21%。     

Lac Dufault sediment core trace metal distribution, bioavailability and toxicity to Hyalella azteca

To determine changes in metal distribution, bioavailability and toxicity with sediment depth, two 20-cm-long replicate cores were collected from a lake historically subjected to the influence of metal mining and smelting activity. The vertical distribution of Pb, Cd and Cu in sediment was similar for all three metals, with the surface layers showing enrichment and the deeper (pre-industrial) layers showing lower concentrations. Toxicity of each sediment core section was determined in laboratory tests with the freshwater amphipod Hyalella azteca. Bioavailable metal in each sediment slice was estimated from metal concentrations in overlying water in these toxicity tests and, for Cd, also from metal bioaccumulation. The profile for Cd in tissue was comparable to Cd in sediment and overlying water, but relative Cd bioavailability from sediment increased with sediment depth. Survival increased with increasing sediment depth, suggesting that surface sediments were probably less or non-toxic before industrialization.     

Long-term copper partitioning of metal-spiked sediments used in outdoor mesocosms

Understanding the effects of sediment contaminants is pivotal to reducing their impact in aquatic environments. Outdoor mesocosms enable us to decipher the effects of these contaminants in environmentally realistic scenarios, providing a valuable link between laboratory and field experiments. However, because of their scale, mesocosm experiments are often complex to set up and manage. The creation of environmentally realistic conditions, particularly when using artificially contaminated sediment, is one issue. Here, we describe changes in geochemistry over 1.5 years of a sediment spiked with four different concentrations of copper, within a large freshwater mesocosm facility. The spiking procedure included proportional amendments with garden lime to counteract the decreases in pH caused by the copper additions. The majority of copper within the spiked mesocosm sediments partitioned to the particulate phase with low microgram per liter concentrations measured in the pore waters and overlying waters. The minimum partition coefficient following equilibration between pore waters and sediments was 1.5?×?10⁴ L/kg, which is well within the range observed for field-contaminated sediments (1?×?10⁴ to 1?×?10⁶ L/kg). Recommendations are made for the in situ spiking of sediments with metals in large outdoor mesocosms. These include selecting an appropriate sediment type, adjusting the pH, allowing sufficient equilibration time, and regular mixing and monitoring of metal partitioning throughout the experimental period.     

Sediment-associated aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons in coastal British Columbia, Canada: concentrations, composition, and associated risks to protected sea otters

Sediment-associated hydrocarbons can pose a risk to wildlife that rely on benthic marine food webs. We measured hydrocarbons in sediments from the habitat of protected sea otters in coastal British Columbia, Canada. Alkane concentrations were dominated by higher odd-chain n-alkanes at all sites, indicating terrestrial plant inputs. While remote sites were dominated by petrogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), small harbour sites within sea otter habitat and sites from an urban reference area reflected weathered petroleum and biomass and fossil fuel combustion. The partitioning of hydrocarbons between sediments and adjacent food webs provides an important exposure route for sea otters, as they consume ∼25% of their body weight per day in benthic invertebrates. Thus, exceedences of PAH sediment quality guidelines designed to protect aquatic biota at 20% of the sites in sea otter habitat suggest that sea otters are vulnerable to hydrocarbon contamination even in the absence of catastrophic oil spills.     

Processes controlling metal transport and retention as metal-contaminated groundwaters efflux through estuarine sediments

Factors affecting the transport and retention of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in acidic groundwaters as they pass through estuarine sediments were investigated using column experiments. Acidic groundwaters caused the rapid dissolution of iron sulfide (AVS) and other iron and manganese phases from sediments that are important for metal binding and buffering. Metal breakthrough to overlying water occurred in the order of Ni>Zn>Cd>Cu>Cr/Pb. Metal transport increased as the sediment permeability increased, reflecting the low resistance to flow caused by larger sand-sized particles and the decreased abundance of metal adsorption sites on these materials. Metal mobility increased as the groundwater pH decreased, as flow rate or metal concentrations increased, and as the exposure duration increased. Groundwater Cr and Pb were promptly attenuated by the sediments, the mobility of Cu was low and decreased rapidly as sediment pH increased above 4.5, while Cd, Ni and Zn were the most easily transported to the surface sediments and released to the overlying waters. For groundwaters of pH 3, metal migration velocities through sandy sediments were generally 0.5-2% (Cr, Pb), 1-6% (Cu) and 4-13% (Cd, Ni, Zn) of the total groundwater velocity (9-700 m/yr). The oxidative precipitation of Fe(II) and Mn(II) in the groundwaters did not affect metal mobility through the sediments. The results indicated that the efflux of acidic and metal-contaminated groundwater through estuarine sediments would affect organisms resident in sandy sediments more greatly than organisms resident in fine-grained, silty, sediments.     

Evaluation of time-to-effects as a basis for quantifying the toxicity of contaminated sediments

Due to uncertainties as to appropriate procedures and dilution materials, most sediment tests are conducted only with undiluted, whole samples. Hence, it is not possible to use conventional concentration-response approaches to quantify toxicity of samples that elicit a 100% effect (e.g., mortality) at a preset test interval (typically 10 d). An alternative approach to quantifying the relative toxicity of test sediments is to determine time-to-effects. The objective of this study was to assess the utility of a time-to-effects approach for quantifying toxicity of freshwater sediments to the invertebrates Hyalella azteca and Chironomus tentans. Survival of both species and growth of C. tentans was determined using five sediments (four test samples and a control sediment) by destructively sampling replicate test chambers over the course of a "standard" 10-d assay. Studies with the control sediment and a non-toxic test sample indicated excellent recovery of test animals, even early in the test (e.g., <24 h) when individuals of both species are relatively small. Reasonable, typically monotonic, time-to-death relationships were observed for both H. azteca and C. tentans exposed to three comparatively toxic test sediments, all of which caused significant mortality by 10 d. Use of the time-to-effects approach allowed expression of toxicity of the three samples relative to one another, as well as documentation of decreases in toxicity of one of the sediments with increased storage time. These studies demonstrate the feasibility of use of time-to-effects as a basis for quantifying the relative toxicity of contaminated sediments.     

不同水温时底泥扰动对不同形态磷分布的影响

研究了江南地区典型水温条件下,底泥扰动对上覆水中不同形态磷迁移的影响.结果表明,不同水温条件下,底泥扰动均有利于上覆水中溶解态磷(即溶解性总磷酸盐(DTP),包括溶解性正磷酸盐(DIP)和溶解性有机磷(DOP))向底泥迁移.与对照试验相比,不同水温时的扰动均导致DIP/TP和DTP/TP明显降低.与初始状态(第0天时)相比,扰动导致DIP/TP分别降低了39.61百分点(冬季水温)和17.38百分点(夏季水温),而DTP/TP则分别降低了39.16百分点(冬季水温)和19.06百分点(夏季水温).相反,对照试验中,DTP/TP分别上升了24.90百分点(冬季水温)和23.37百分点(夏季水温).这说明底泥扰动促进了溶解态磷向颗粒态磷(PP)的转化.     

Induction of mouthpart deformities in Chironomus riparius larvae exposed to 4-n-nonylphenol

Chironomid mouthpart deformities have often been associated with sediment contamination and are, therefore, currently used to assess sediment quality. Deformities were only occasionally induced in laboratory bioassays. Mouthpart deformities results from a physiological disturbance during larval molting. In the past few years it has been shown that some chemicals can exert negative effects on both vertebrates and invertebrates at the level of endocrine regulation. As insect molting is hormonally regulated, we wanted to test the hypothesis that deformities are induced due to a hormonal disruption in the developmental process. The aim of the present study was to test whether the endocrine disrupter, 4-n-nonylphenol (4NP), induces mouthpart deformities in chironomids. A laboratory bioassay was performed exposing Chironomus riparius larvae to 10, 50 and 100 micrograms l-1 4NP. Survival of the larvae was not affected by the tested concentrations, but the frequency of mentum deformities increased significantly (P < 0.01) after exposure to 4NP.     

Metal bioavailability and toxicity through a sediment core.

Sediment cores from Richard Lake near Sudbury, Ontario, were sectioned and analyzed for total metal content, plus metal bioavailability and toxicity to Hyalella azteca (after equilibration with oxygenated overlying water). Strong and similar sediment profiles were observed for Cd, Co, Cu and Ni in the sediment. However, these differed from metal bioavailability profiles (bioaccumulation by Hyalella and metals in overlying water). Bioavailability profiles for Cu also differed from those for Cd, Co or Ni. The deepest sediment layers, deposited prior to industrial development, were non-toxic. Sediment toxicity was attributed to Ni dissolution into overlying water. Moreover, differential bioavailability of Ni in surface and deeper sediment layers was observed. This can affect the interpretation of toxicity data for sediments collected by different methods (e.g. core vs. grab samples). Based on Pb-210 dating and trends in Ni in the core, chronic toxicity of surface sediments from Richard Lake might approach non-toxic levels in about 15 years.     

The relation between Acid Volatile Sulfides (AVS) and metal accumulation in aquatic invertebrates: Implications of feeding behavior and ecology

The present study evaluates the relationship between Acid Volatile Sulfides (AVS) and metal accumulation in invertebrates with different feeding behavior and ecological preferences. Natural sediments, pore water and surface water, together with benthic and epibenthic invertebrates were sampled at 28 Flemish lowland rivers. Different metals as well as metal binding sediment characteristics including AVS were measured and multiple regression was used to study their relationship with accumulated metals in the invertebrates taxa.Bioaccumulation in the benthic taxa was primarily influenced by total metal concentrations in the sediment. Regarding the epibenthic taxa metal accumulation was mostly explained by the more bioavailable metal fractions in both the sediment and the water. AVS concentrations were generally better correlated with metal accumulation in the epibenthic invertebrates, rather than with the benthic taxa. Our results indicated that the relation between AVS and metal accumulation in aquatic invertebrates is highly dependent on feeding behavior and ecology.     

底泥污染物释放动力学研究

采用模拟试验方式和新型微生物数量测定方法 ,研究了沼泽化湖泊底泥和受污染河流底泥在不同扰动状态下 ,底泥耗氧速率、氮和磷污染物释放动力学过程。结果表明 :( 1)底泥耗氧速率是同样条件下上覆水耗氧速率的 48倍 ,而在扰动状态下 ,底泥耗氧速率达到上覆水耗氧速率的 5 96— 93 6倍 ,扰动底泥显著增大其耗氧速率 ,底泥污染越严重 ,其耗氧速率越大 ,对水体产生的影响也越大。 ( 2 )扰动底泥可以显著增大底泥的氮磷释放速率 ,氮的释放受有机氮的氨化、氨氮的硝化、硝酸盐氮的反硝化以及氨氮被微生物吸收转化为有机氮等的影响 ;磷的释放过程受厌氧过程和底泥颗粒吸附的影响 ,耗氧速率高的底泥具有更大的氮磷释放潜力。 ( 3 )微生物数量在底泥污染物释放动力学中起着关键性作用 ,新型方法可以快速检测微生物总量。试验结果对于水环境的管理、受污染水体的修复 ,以及底泥的处理处置等都具有重要的指导意义     

Evaluating the exchange of DDTs between sediment and water in a major lake in North China

A large-scale sampling program was conducted to simultaneously collect surface water, overlying water, pore water, and sediment samples at monthly intervals between March and December 2010 from Baiyangdian Lake, North China to assess the distribution of DDTs and determine the net direction of sediment–water exchange. Total DDT concentrations ranged 2.36–22.4 ng/L, 0.72–21.9 ng/L, 2.25–33.7 ng/L, and 4.42–7.29 ng/g in surface water, overlying water, pore water, and sediments, respectively, which were at the intermediate levels compared to those of other area around the world. Seasonal variations of DDTs were featured by higher concentration in summer. This was likely associated with (a) the increase of land runoff in the summer and (b) application of dicofol and DDT-containing antifouling paints for ships in summer. Sediment–water fugacity ratios of the DDT isomers were used to predict the direction of the sediment–water exchange of these isomers. The sediment–surface water, sediment–overlying water, and sediment–pore water fugacity ratios of DDT isomers averaged 0.34, 0.44, and 0.1, which are significantly lower than the equilibrium status (1.0), suggesting that the net flux direction were from the water to sediment and the sediment acted as a sink for the DDTs. The difference of DDT concentrations between sediment and water samples was found to be an important factor affecting the diffusion of DDT from the water to sediment.     

Sediment ecological risk assessment: In situ and laboratory toxicity testing of Lake Orta sediments

Specifically designed benthic chambers have been used to test whether the exposure for 48 hrs to polluted Lake Orta sediments could affect survival and reproduction behaviour of Daphnia obtusa and Echinogammarus stammeri. In situ results have been coupled to lab testing with Microtox, seed germination and root elongation (Lactuca sativa, Cucunris sativus, Lepidium sativum), and invertebrates (Daphnia obtusa, D. magna, E,. stammeri) acute toxicity tests.The technique and results here reported indicate the utility of in situ testing and suggest that under certain conditions this kind of test may be more realistic (avoiding sample manipulation in the lab) than traditional laboratory toxicity tests.