Antennal Deformities of Chironomid Larvae and Their Use in Biomonitoring of Heavy Metal Pollutants in the River Damodar of West Bengal,India

Analyses of sediment and water indicate the presence of heavy metal pollutants like lead, zinc, copper, mercury and cadmium of the river Damodar of India. These metals are responsible for causing morphological deformities of antennae and other parts of chironomid larvae. Percentage of deformity correlated positively with the concentrations of Pb in water and sediment (r > 0.6) at the confluence point. A new severity index, SISS_(antenna) has been proposed here to assess deformity at the family or subfamily level.     

DEFORMITIES IN CULTURED CHIRONOMUS TENTANS LARVAE AND THE INFLUENCE OF SUBSTRATE ON GROWTH, SURVIVAL AND MENTUM WEAR

Effects of four substrates (shredded papertowelling, coarse sand, fine sand, and silty clay)on growth, survival and mentum wear of Chironomustentans larvae were investigated in thelaboratory. Three categories of mentum wear were defined:minimal, moderate and substantial. Thenumber of larvae with worn mentum teeth did not differ in anyof the four substrates. However, thenumber of larvae with minimal wear of their teeth wassignificantly different among the substrates andwas in the order coarse sand > shredded paper towelling >clay/silt > fine sand. Mentumdeformities were observed in the cultured larvae, presumablybecause of inbreeding and not the effectof treatment. Differences in biomass and survival of larvaeamong the substrates were not significant(p<0.05), however, there was a trend for lower survival inthe sand substrates. These findingssuggest that shredded paper towelling is the most suitablereference substrate. The occurrence ofnatural abnormalities must be considered when using chironomidmouthpart deformities as an index of environmental degradation.     

Aeromonas and Pseudomonas: antibiotic and heavy metal resistance species from Iskenderun Bay, Turkey (northeast Mediterranean Sea)

We studied the susceptibility patterns to 15 different antibiotics and six heavy metals in Aeromonas spp. and Pseudomonas spp. isolated from Iskenderun Bay, Turkey (northeast Mediterranean Sea). A high percentage of Aeromonas isolates showed resistance to cefazolin (66.6%) and trimethoprim–sulphamethoxazole (66.6%). Amongst the Pseudomonas isolates, there was a high incidence of resistance to nitrofurantoin (86.2%), cefazolin (84.8%) and cefuroxime (71.7%). Most isolates showed tolerance to different concentrations of heavy metals, and minimal inhibition concentrations ranged from 25 to >3,200 μg/ml. The Aeromonas spp. and Pseudomonas spp. showed high resistance to copper of 98.3% and 75.4%, respectively, and low resistance to lead of 1.7% and 7.2%, respectively. Our results show that antibiotic and heavy metal resistant Aeromonas spp. and Pseudomonas spp. were widespread in Iskenderun Bay in 2007 and 2008. The increasing presence of antibiotic and heavy metal resistant Aeromonas spp. and Pseudomonas spp. may become a potential human health hazard.     

Chironomid mouthpart deformities as indicator of environmental quality: a case study in Lake Trasimeno (Italy)

The aim of the present study was to monitor mouthpart deformities of Chironomus plumosus (Insecta-Diptera) in Lake Trasimeno (2000-2010) in relation with sediment contamination by heavy metals, which is one of the main causes of deformity induction. In Lake Trasimeno, concentrations of heavy metals in the investigated littoral zone were low, in comparison with those of the central area. By contrast, the incidence of deformities was much higher in the littoral station (2006-2009) than in the central area. In the littoral zone, the deformities progressively decreased and by 2010 reached values similar to those observed in the central area (2000-2002, 2010). This decrease was mainly due to the reduction of severe deformities, thus indicating an environmental quality recovery of this littoral sector. Chemical analysis revealed that the higher incidence of deformities in the littoral zone was not caused by heavy metal contamination, unless they may have contributed to a joint action with other toxicants. The present study on Lake Trasimeno provided additional evidence that chironomid mouthpart deformities can be used in biomonitoring programs to evaluate sediment contamination by toxicants. Since mouthpart deformities may also be induced by compounds not included in routine chemical analyses, they may better reflect sediment quality than chemical analysis alone.     

Does biodiversity of macroinvertebrates and genome response of Chironomidae larvae (Diptera) reflect heavy metal pollution in a small pond?

The investigation was carried out on a small pond situated on a recent mine spoil at Bolesław in the Olkusz region with Zn–Pb ore deposits. Water of the pond had pH 7.2–8.5 and low concentrations of heavy metals. Concentrations of Pb (487 μg g^− 1) and Zn (1,991 μg g^− 1) in the sediment were very high and potentially could lead to toxicological effects. In the pond, 48 taxa of macroinvertebrates belonging to Oligochaeta and water stages of Ephemeroptera, Odonata, Megaloptera, Trichoptera, Heteroptera, Coleoptera and Diptera (mainly Chironomidae family) were found. The influence of heavy metals on macroinvertebrates diversity was not found. Effect of heavy metal pollution was observed on the appearance of chromosome aberrations in the polytene chromosomes of Chironomidae larvae. It was manifested by two ways: (1) in Kiefferulus tendipediformis and Chironomus sp. chromosome rearrangements in fixed state (tandem fusion and homozygous inversions), indicated intensive process of speciation; (2) in Chironomus sp., K. tendipediformis, Glyptotendipes gripekoveni (Chironomidae) somatic chromosome rearrangements (inversions, deficiencies, specific puffs, polyploidy) affected few cells of every individual. The somatic functional and structural alterations in Chironomidae species are particular suitable as biomarkers—they can be easily identified and used for detecting toxic agents in the environment.     

Distribution and Environmental Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal in Surface Sediments and Red Mullet (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Mullus barbatus</Emphasis>) from Algiers and BouIsmail Bay (Algeria)

BouIsmail (BIB) and Algiers (AB) are the most important bays in Algeria, where busy shipping activities and various industry complexes introduce different pollutants including heavy metals to the aquatic environment. The main goal of this study was to assess the contamination levels of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Pb, Zn) in surface sediments and red mullet (Mullus barbatus) of the BIB and AB and to examine the possibility of the use of their enrichment factors (EFs) to track down the sources of metals (natural processes or human activity). The geoaccumulation index (I _geo) was calculated as a criterion to indicate the contamination level for each heavy metal. Moreover, geographical information systems based on spatial analysis methods (inverse distance weighting (IDW)) and statistical approaches (the principal component (PCA)) were performed to assess the spatial influences of multiple anthropogenic sources in different sampled areas. The results of both EF and I _geo revealed that the study area is exposed to various anthropogenic activities. The pollution load index (PLI) values of sediment samples in the different sites of Algiers and BIB ranged from 0.2 to 3.4 illustrating highly contaminated sediments. Significant bioaccumulation of Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn (bioaccumulation factor >100%) were observed in muscle and liver of red mullet, suggesting potential health risks through consuming this fish species.     

Multiple-Trait Analysis of Fluctuating Asymmetry Levels in Anthropogenically and Naturally Stressed Sites: A Case Study Using Chironomus Riparius Meigen, 1804 Larvae

Fluctuating asymmetry levels were measured in fourth-instar Chironomus riparius larvae collected from various sampling sites in Galicia (northwest Spain) subjected to different types and degrees of stress. Specifically, we selected sites with contamination of anthropogenic origin, ranging from urban and industrial sewages to organic wastes, as well as two sites without chemical contamination, but with marked diurnal variations in their physicochemical conditions. Fluctuating asymmetry levels were determined for various structures of the head capsule (antennal segment I length, antennal segment II length, mentum width, and number of pecten epipharyngis teeth). The results obtained group the sampling sites in a similar way to other measures of stress. In particular, grouping resulted to be similar to that obtained after analysis of head capsule deformities. Moreover, results of our work are consistent with the hypothesis that some characters may possibly be useful indicators of specific types of stress.     

Seasonal variation of Sarpa salpa fish toxicity, as related to phytoplankton consumption, accumulation of heavy metals, lipids peroxidation level in fish tissues and toxicity upon mice

The aim of this work was to investigate for Sarpa salpa the seasonal trend in the food sources, heavy metals bioaccumulation and the oxidative stress in the organs. In addition, the toxicity was assessed by mouse bioassay of extract of the fish's organs collected in autumn, the peak of occurrence of hallucinatory syndrome. The toxicity was further studied for compounds present in epiphyte collected from the sea at the end of spring and in summer that are digested by the S. salpa in these seasons. We observed a higher lipid peroxydation in different tissues of S. salpa compared to the control fish Diplodus annularis. Furthermore, heavy metals accumulation in organs of these fish showed a significant variation between the two species (P?<?0.05). The lethal dose (LD50%) determined for crude ciguatoxin (neurotoxins) extracts of viscera, liver, brain and muscle of S. salpa were as follows: 1.217, 2.195, 14.395, 18.645 g/kg mouse, respectively. We noticed a significant correlation (P?<?0.05) between the total amount of toxic dinoflagellates and the level of TBARS in the liver, the brain and the muscle, this for all seasons and all sizes. Moreover, the cytotoxic effect observed for epiphytes extract confirms the transfer of toxins originating from toxic dinoflagellates, which live as epiphytes on P. oceanica leaves, to the fish by grazing. Our work indicates that, toxic phytoplanktons and heavy metals accumulation are responsible for the increase of oxidative stress in the organs of S. salpa. Hence, the edible part of S. salpa, especially the viscera and liver, can cause a threat to human health, and consumption should, for this reason, be dissuaded.     

The Asiatic clam,Corbicula spp., as a biological monitor in freshwater environments

Asiatic clams, Corbicula spp., are filter-feeding freshwater bivalves that are widely distributed, abundant, and fast growing with a lifespan of 1–3 yrs. A review of the existing literature demonstrates that Asiatic clams can concentrate organic pollutants from both water and sediment and heavy metals from water. In conjunction with these traits, they exhibit a high tolerance for the effects resulting from exposure to toxic substances. While an organism must possess these traits to serve as an effective biological monitor, they have also permitted the Asiatic clam to rapidly colonize natural and industrial environments resulting in purported ecological disturbances and severe economic repurcussions, respectively. Its invasive biofouling attributes therefore restrict the use of Asiatic clams for biomonitoring purposes from Corbicula-free drainage systems.     

Assessment of heavy metals (Cd and Pb) and micronutrients (Cu, Mn, and Zn) of paddy (Oryza sativa L.) field surface soil and water in a predominantly paddy-cultivated area at Puducherry (Pondicherry, India), and effects of the agricultural runoff on the elemental concentrations of a receiving rivulet

The concentrations of toxic heavy metals—Cd and Pb and micronutrients—Cu, Mn, and Zn were assessed in the surface soil and water of three different stages of paddy (Oryza sativa L.) fields, the stage I—the first stage in the field soon after transplantation of the paddy seedlings, holding adequate amount of water on soil surface, stage II—the middle stage with paddy plants of stem of about 40 cm length, with sufficient amount of water on the soil surface, and stage III—the final stage with fully grown rice plants and very little amount of water in the field at Bahour, a predominantly paddy cultivating area in Puducherry located on the southeast Coast of India. Comparison of the heavy metal and micronutrient concentrations of the soil and water across the three stages of paddy field showed their concentrations were significantly higher in soil compared with that of water (p?<?0.05) of the fields probably because of accumulation and adsorption in soil. The elemental concentrations in paddy soil as well as water was in the ranking order of Cd?>?Mn?>?Zn?>?Cu?>?Pb indicating concentration of Cd was maximum and Pb was minimum. The elemental concentrations in both soil and water across the three stages showed a ranking order of stage II?>?stage III?>?stage I. The runoff from the paddy fields has affected the elemental concentrations of the water and sediment of an adjacent receiving rivulet.     

Heavy metals in Patella caerulea (Mollusca, Gastropoda) in polluted and non-polluted areas from the Iskenderun Gulf (Mediterranean Turkey)

The concentrations of Cd, Cu, Zn, Fe, Pb, Ni, and Co were measured in gastropod mollusks Patella caerulea in the Mediterranean area. The organisms were collected at two coastal sites in Iskenderun Gulf during winter, spring, summer, and autumn 2008. Samples of the digestive gland, gill, and muscle were analyzed for heavy metals. The aim of study is to determine heavy metal levels in tissues of P. caerulea in different locations. Tissues of P. caerulea from the polluted site showed metal concentrations appreciably higher than unpolluted organisms. The highest metal levels were registered in the digestive gland of P. caerulea. Generally, digestive gland and gills showed higher metal concentrations than muscle. The average concentrations of heavy metals analyzed exhibited the following decreasing order: Fe > Zn > Cu > Ni > Cd > Pb > Co for both stations 1 and 2. Seasonal changes in metal concentrations were observed in the tissues of P. caerulea from a polluted and an unpolluted population.     

Commercial bumblebee hives to assess an anthropogenic environment for pollinator support: a case study in the region of Ghent (Belgium)

Anthropogenic changes of the environment influence the distribution and abundance of pollinators such as bumblebees and have been proposed as one of the main causes in their worldwide decline. In order to evaluate the impact of expanding anthropogenic landscapes on supporting pollinator potential, reliable tools are needed. Bombus terrestris is one of the most abundant bumblebee species in Europe, and these bumblebees are known as generalist pollinators of not only wild flowers in nature but also of crops in agriculture. For more than two decades, these bumblebees have been commercially mass reared for biological pollination in greenhouses. In this project, we placed commercial hives of the bumblebee B. terrestris containing one queen and 40 workers, in three different locations in the region of Ghent (Belgium), and the performance of these hives was followed during a 4-week period in spring 2012. In parallel, we determined the floral richness and diversity index in the chosen study sites. The sites consisted of a rich urban environment with patchy green areas opposed to an urban environment with poor landscape metrics; a third rural study site showed average positive landscape metrics. The results demonstrated that the hive biomass and numbers of workers increased significantly in the rich compared to the poor environment, providing a mechanism to discriminate between study sites. In addition, the bumblebee-collected pollen showed that the flowering plants Salix spp. and Rosaceae/Prunus spp. are dominant food sources in all anthropogenic environments during early spring. Finally, the results are discussed in relation to the optimization of the experimental setup and to the use of commercial bumblebee hives in assessing local pollinator support within any given environment.     

Interaction of free-living marine nematodes in the artificial mangrove environment (southeast coast of India)

Free-living marine nematode diversity was analyzed between Avicennia marina and Rhizophora mucronata mangrove covers of the Vellar Estuary (southeast coast of India). A total of 4,976 specimens of free-living marine nematodes were collected in 56 species. Comparatively, a higher species richness was obtained for A. marina (52 species) than for R. mucronata (44 species), whereas 40 species commonly existed in both mangrove covers. A higher density of nematodes was found in sediments of sandy nature, whereas there was lower total organic carbon compared to silt/clay composition; epigrowth feeders were dominant over the other feeding groups based on organic enrichment in surface sediments. Principal component analysis clearly explained the relationship between the environmental parameters of various months. Higher R values of analysis of similarities revealed significant differences in nematode assemblages between months, and it was quite evident by non-metric multidimensional scaling. Diversity indices showed higher values in the dry months. RELATE analysis explained serial changes in nematode species composition between months, and a relationship between biotic and abiotic variables was clarified using the BIO-ENV procedure. Viscosia spp., Metachromadora spp., Theristus spp., and Sphaerolaimus spp. were candidate species of A. marina leaf interaction by observation.     

Heavy metal in surface sediments of the Liaodong Bay, Bohai Sea: distribution, contamination, and sources

In an effort to assess the potential contamination and determine the environmental risks associated with heavy metals, the surface sediments in Liaodong Bay, northeast China, were systematically sampled and analyzed for the concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Ni, As, and Hg. The metal enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (I _geo) were calculated to assess the anthropogenic contamination in the region. Results showed that heavy metal concentrations in the sediments generally met the criteria of China Marine Sediment Quality (GB18668-2002); however, both EF and I _geo values suggested the elevation of Pb concentration in the region. Based on the effect-range classification (TEL-PEL SQGs), Cu, Pb, Ni, and As were likely to pose environment risks, and the toxic units decreased in the order: Ni?>?Pb?>?Cr?>?Zn?>?As?>?Cu?>?Hg. The spatial distribution of ecotoxicological index (mean-ERM-quotient) suggested that most of the surface sediments were “low–medium” priority zone. Multivariate analysis indicated that the sources of Cr, Ni, Zn, Cu, and Hg resulted primarily from parent rocks, and Pb or As were mainly attributed to anthropogenic sources. The results of this study would provide a useful aid for sustainable marine management in the region.     

Biomonitoring of heavy metals (Cd,Hg, and Pb) and metalloid (As) with the Portuguese common buzzard (Buteo buteo)

The accumulation of heavy metals in the environment may have a wide range of health effects on animals and humans. Thus, in this study, the concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) in the blood and tissues (liver and kidney) of Portuguese common buzzards (Buteo buteo) were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) in order to monitor environmental pollution to these elements. In general, Hg and As were the elements which appeared in the highest and lowest concentrations, respectively. A highest percentage of non-detected concentration was found for blood Cd (94.6 %) but, in turn, it was the only metal that was detected in all kidney samples. The kidney was the analyzed sample which showed the highest concentrations of each element evaluated. Statistically, significant differences among blood, liver, and kidney samples were observed for As and Cd (P?相似文献   

Comparison of the suitability of two lichen species and one higher plant for monitoring airborne heavy metals

We compared the capacity to accumulate airborne heavy metals of two lichens (Flavoparmelia caperata and Parmotrema chinense) and one higher plant (Nerium oleander) at a very densely populated urban site near Naples. After 15, 45, 75, and 120 days of exposure at four sites with different levels of air pollution, equal portions of thalli and 20 leaves were collected, and four environmentally significant elements, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Pb, were measured by inductively coupled plasma analysis. To compare the accumulation rates of lichens and the vascular plant, we determined an index of relative accumulation rate of pollutants during time and the ratio between the concentrations of each element in exposed samples to that of control samples (exposed-to-control ratio). Our data indicate F. caperata as being the most suitable bioaccumulator, followed by P. chinense. N. oleander was also found to be a useful heavy metal biomonitor though not suitable as a bioaccumulator.     

Heavy metal concentration in sediment, benthic, benthopelagic, and pelagic fish species from Musa Estuary (Persian Gulf)

The concentration of Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, and Pb was measured in sediment and three fish species collected from Musa Estuary, Persian Gulf. The concentration order of heavy metals in sediment were Ni > Co > Cu > Pb > Cd >. Concentrations of the heavy metals in the fish were apparently different among the three species. The concentrations of Cd and Ni in fish were Johnius belangerii > Euryglossa orientalis > Liza abu, while the Co and Cu levels were L. abu > E. orientalis > J. belangerii and E. orientalis > L. abu > J. belangerii, respectively. Result of regression analysis showed that there were no significant relationships between metal concentration in fish tissues and sediment, except for Ni concentration in the J. belangerii liver. The concentrations of studied metals in fish muscle were below the permissible limits proposed by FAO, WHO, and EC.     

斑马鱼对水源特定污染物的水质监测预警

选取浑浊度、石油类、亚硝酸盐、苯、砷化物、锰等不同类型的环境污染物,研究了斑马鱼在不同污染物压力下行为强度变化规律,分析了不同条件下斑马鱼的活性及在线系统报警特征。结果表明:斑马鱼的行为生态学变化与环境污染物压力存在显著的相关性。在不同类型的环境污染物下,斑马鱼行为变化存在明显差异,对砷和锰等剧毒物质更加敏感;在高浓度环境污染物压力下,斑马鱼的行为生态学特征出现剧烈变化;随着暴露时间的增加,斑马鱼的行为生态学变化会逐渐降低。斑马鱼的行为强度变化可以快速评判水质污染程度,但应结合当地的水质特征设定具体的报警阈值。     

The responses of the hepatosomatic index (HSI), 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity in sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax, Linnaeus 1758) caged at a polluted site: implications for their use in environmental risk assessment

The present study investigates the response of three hepatic biomarkers in adult sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax, Linnaeus 1758) caged at a wastewater outlet of an oil refinery with fish caged at a pristine site used as controls. The biomarkers that were investigated were the hepatosomatic index (HSI), 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity. In addition, we have measured the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and selected heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, copper and zinc) in sediment samples at the polluted site. Although the polluted site had high environmental levels of PAHs and heavy metals, there was no difference in hepatic EROD activity and HSI between fish caged at the polluted site and controls. On the other hand, GST activity was significantly lower in fish caged at the polluted site compared to controls. Our results point out that the studied biomarkers have limited use in environmental risk assessment studies, at least when caged adult sea bass is used as the sentinel species and complex toxicant mixtures are involved.