Variations of periphytic diatom sensitivity to the herbicide diuron and relation to species distribution in a contamination gradient: implications for biomonitoring

Diatoms are commonly used as bioindicators of trophic and saprobic pollution in rivers. However, more knowledge is needed concerning their sensitivity to toxicants such as agricultural herbicides. In this study, seven species of periphytic diatoms were isolated from the Morcille River (Beaujolais area, France) which presents a streamward contamination gradient by pesticides and particularly diuron. The sensitivity of these species to diuron was assessed through ecotoxicological tests based on short-term growth inhibition of monospecific cultures. After application of an appropriate toxicological model, EC50 were determined and the species were ranked according to their tolerance. EC50 values ranged from 4.5 to 19 μg L(-1). Finally, the results were related to field periphyton samples from an upstream and a downstream site in order to check if variations in specific relative abundance between sites are consistent with differences in tolerance to diuron. Species distribution between sites was only partially in accordance with toxicological results suggesting that other factors (toxic or trophic) have an important influence on diatom communities in the river. Nevertheless, diatoms showed their potential to indicate water contamination by pesticides and toxic indices could be developed in complement to existing trophic indices.     

Single and mixture effects of pesticides and a degradation product on fluvial biofilms

The Morcille River located in the Beaujolais vineyard area (Eastern France) is subjected to strong vine-growing pressure leading to the contamination by a range of herbicides and fungicides of the surrounding freshwater environment. Particularly high concentrations of norflurazon, desmethyl norflurazon and tebuconazole were recorded in spring 2010 at the downstream site of the river. Despite their occurrence in rivers, scarce toxicity data are available for these products, in particular in the case of desmethyl norflurazon (main norflurazon degradation product). Furthermore, the toxicity data are generally available only for single compounds and are issued from single species toxicity tests, leading to a lack of ecological relevance. Consequently, this study was undertaken to evaluate the toxic effects of norflurazon, desmethyl norflurazon and tebuconazole singly and in a ternary mixture on fluvial biofilm. Toxicity tests were performed in microplates for 48 h. Photosynthetic endpoints were measured using pulse amplitude-modulated fluorometry; diatom densities and taxonomic composition were determined. After 48 h of exposure, significant effects on optimal quantum yield (F _v/F _m) for desmethyl norflurazon and mixture were observed.     

Sediment quality triad assessment of an industrialized estuary of the northeastern USA

The lower Passaic River in northern New Jersey (USA) has been heavily industrialized since the mid-nineteenth century and its shoreline and aquatic habitats degraded or destroyed. Similar to other urban systems, Passaic River sediments, both surface and buried, historically have contained elevated levels of numerous contaminants that may pose risks to ecological receptors and humans. Sediments from 15 stations in the lower Passaic River and 3 reference stations in the Mullica River in southern New Jersey were sampled in 1999 and characterized for chemical contamination, toxicity, and impairment of the benthic community. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence, degree, and nature of degraded surficial sediments in the area to support subsequent plans for restoration of the system. Results demonstrated that Passaic River sediments had concentrations of many organic and inorganic contaminants at levels significantly greater than the reference area and effect-based guidelines. Sediments were toxic to marine amphipods at 11 stations and the benthic assemblages were impaired relative to the reference area at all stations. The weight-of-evidence of this sediment quality triad (SQT) assessment indicates that impacts from multiple contaminants are occurring throughout the lower Passaic River and, that these impacts must be evaluated further and addressed as part of ongoing restoration initiatives for the river.     

A ten year summary of concurrent ambient water column and sediment toxicity tests in the Chesapeake Bay watershed: 1990-1999

The goal of this study was to identify the relative toxicity ofambient areas in the Chesapeake Bay watershed by using a suiteof concurrent water column and sediment toxicity tests at seventy-five ambient stations in 20 Chesapeake Bay rivers from1990 through 1999. Spatial and temporal variability was examinedat selected locations throughout the 10 yr study. Inorganicand organic contaminants were evaluated in ambient water andsediment concurrently with water column and sediment tests toassess possible causes of toxicity although absolute causalitycan not be established. Multivariate statistical analysis wasused to develop a multiple endpoint toxicity index (TOX-INDEX) at each station for both water column and sediment toxicity data. Water column tests from the 10 yr testing period showed that49% of the time, some degree of toxicity was reported. The mosttoxic sites based on water column results were located inurbanized areas such as the Anacostia River, Elizabeth River andthe Middle River. Water quality criteria for copper, lead,mercury, nickel and zinc were exceeded at one or more of thesesites. Water column toxicity was also reported in localizedareas of the South and Chester Rivers. Both spatial and temporalvariability was reported from the suite of water column toxicitytests. Some degree of sediment toxicity was reported from 62% of the tests conducted during the ten year period. The ElizabethRiver and Baltimore Harbor stations were reported as the most toxic areas based on sediment results.Sediment toxicity guidelines were exceeded for one or more of thefollowing metals at these two locations: arsenic, cadmium,chromium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc. At the Elizabeth Riverstations nine of sixteen semi-volatile organics and two of sevenpesticides measured exceeded the ER-M values in 1990. Ambientsediment toxicity tests in the Elizabeth River in 1996 showedreduced toxicity. Various semi-volatile organics exceeded the ER-M values at a number of Baltimore Harbor sites; pyrene anddibenzo(a,h)anthracene were particularly high at one of thestations (Northwest Harbor). Localized sediment toxicity was alsoreported in the Chester, James, Magothy, Rappahannock, andPotomac Rivers but the link with contaminants was not determined.Both spatial and temporal variability was less for sedimenttoxicity data when compared with water column toxicity data. Acomparison of water column and sediment toxicity data for thevarious stations over the 10 yr study showed that approximatelyhalf the time agreement occurred (either both suite of testsshowed toxicity or neither suite of tests showed toxicity).     

Use of biological indicators to assess water quality of the Ul River (Portugal)

Diatoms and macroinvertebrates have been extensively used as water quality indicators in Europe for the last two decades. In Portugal, the use of biological indicators to assess water quality in rivers has increased greatly. The aim of this work was to assess the water quality and ecological status of the Ul River in order to evaluate its ability for the establishment of a fluvial beach, using periphytic diatoms and macroinvertebrates as indicators. Four sites were selected along the Ul River. At each site, biological, physical, and chemical parameters were investigated. Epilithic diatoms and macroinvertebrates were sampled. The Specific Polluosensitivity Index and the Biological Diatom Index were applied to diatom data, while for macroinvertebrates, the Iberian Biological Monitoring Working Party (IBMWP) was used. According to the results obtained, it was possible to conclude that up to now, this river does not possess the ideal conditions for the establishment of a fluvial beach. We concluded that epilithic diatoms and macroinvertebrates provided consistent information on water quality assessment and can be used as biological indicators of the water quality in Ul River.     

Biomonitoring acidic drainage impact in a complex setting using periphyton

Acid mine drainage (AMD) often exerts various environmental pressures on nearby water courses: chemical stress from low pH and dissolved metals; physical stress from metal oxide deposits. Affected streams can thus display a spatially variable combination of stress agents that may complicate its biomonitoring using native communities such as periphyton. Here, we have measured water and periphyton variables in four streams that surround an abandoned copper mine to determine which periphyton attributes consistently detected AMD impact in a complex environmental setting. Seventeen years after the end of commercial exploitation, the abandoned mine still decreases water quality in nearby streams: moderate acidification, very high metal load (Al, Ni, Cu, Zn), and a conspicuous presence of metal oxide deposits with diverse composition. Even under the resultant complex pattern of polluted conditions, periphyton was a reliable bioindicator of AMD. Epilithic diatom taxa tolerant of acidic conditions increased in AMD sites and, at severely impacted locations, species richness decreased. Also, algal biomass may have been negatively affected in some stream reaches affected by metal oxide deposits. Other periphyton attributes (total biomass, diatom diversity) seemed mostly unrelated to AMD. Diatom assemblage composition was the most sensitive and consistent bioindicator of mine drainage; besides, it rendered a biological assessment of AMD impact that largely coincided with the physicochemical evaluation. Still, including other taxonomic (proportion of acid-tolerant diatom species, diatom richness) and non-taxonomic (algal biomass) attributes in the biomonitoring procedure rendered a more comprehensive assessment of the negative consequences generated by AMD.     

基于着生硅藻多参数指标评价赤水河生态状况

随着人类活动的加剧,赤水河生态状况受到越来越多的关注,全面了解赤水河的生态状况,识别影响生态状况的主要环境胁迫因子对于赤水河的管理十分重要。笔者分别于2016年春季(4月)和秋季(9月)对赤水河干流着生硅藻及主要环境指标展开系统调查,春季以曲壳藻属相对丰度、高需氧物种、高磷物种、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数为核心参数,秋季以低需氧物种、物种丰富度、高营养物种为核心参数,构建了着生硅藻多参数指标(D-MMIs)。对赤水河干流生态状况进行评估。结果表明:调查期间,赤水河干流中上游样点水体状况优于下游样点,并且春、秋季赤水河生态状况存在差异。D-MMIs与环境因子的回归分析结果显示:影响春季赤水河生态状况的环境因子为COD,影响秋季赤水河生态状况的环境因子为NH4_+~-N。构建的赤水河D-MMIs,能够较好地指示环境胁迫因子对赤水河生态状况的影响,对于指导赤水河的管理实践具有参考价值。     

Periphyton and Sediment Bioassessment in North Florida Bay

Periphyton colonization and sediment bioassessment were used ina survey to compare the relative environmental condition ofsampling sites located in Florida Bay and four peripheral sloughareas during the summer of 1995. Periphyton biomass, pigmentcontent, tissue quality and community composition weredetermined. In addition, benthic community composition and thetoxicities of whole sediments and associated pore waters weredetermined for two species of rooted macrophytes, an epibenthicinvertebrate and bioluminescent bacteria. Several locational differences were observed for the response parameters.Periphyton biomass was significantly greater in the Taylor Riverand the least in Shell Creek (P < 0.05). Most sediments were notacutely toxic to mysid shrimp nor phytotoxic. However, sedimentsfrom the Taylor River were more phytostimulatory than others (P< 0.05). Contaminant bioresidues were similar at most sites,however, mercury, chromium and nickel concentrations weregreater for periphyton colonized in the Taylor River and TroutCreek areas. Structural characteristics of the periphytic algalcommunity usually were statistically similar but a consistenttrend of lower density and diversity was evident for ShellCreek. The benthic community was the least diverse and dense inthe Canal C-111. The results of this study provide an initialindication of differences in the role of several slough areas aspossible sources of bioavailable contaminants to Florida Baywhich warrants additional investigation.     

Inferences about the variability of means from censored data

In recent years, intensive biological monitoring studies have been carried out on the Niagara River by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. The basic objective was to determine the relative bioavailability of trace contaminants at various locations in the river, and to identify sources. A recurring difficulty encountered with the generated data is that substantial portions of sample concentrations of many toxic pollutants are below the limits of detection established by analytical laboratories. Under the assumption that the distribution of the data is log normal, the likelihood ratio test for testing the equality of several means for type I censored data is derived and its use for evaluating the spatial variability of trace contaminants in the river is illustrated.     

Factors controlling the accumulation of metals within fluvial systems

The magnitude and distribution of European Community (EC) regulated List I and List II metals and metalloids have been investigated in two lowland river systems in East Anglia, U.K. A combination of sediment and water quality data identified municipal sewage treatment work discharges as the main metal input sources to the river systems and identified two main areas of metal contamination: the Pix Brook, downstream of Letchworth STW on the River Ivel, and a 14 km enrichment zone adjacent to Whitlingham STW on the River Yare. The basement geology, flow dynamics, distance from point sources and sediment type were identified as important controls upon the magnitude and spatial distribution of metal contaminants.     

Effect of a reservoir in the water quality of the Reconquista River, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The lower portion of the Reconquista River is highly polluted. However, little is known about the state of the high and middle basins. The aims of this work were to assess the water quality on the high and middle Reconquista River basins and to determinate if the presence of a reservoir in the river has a positive effect on the water quality. We conducted a seasonal study between August 2009 and November 2010 at the mouth of La Choza, Durazno, and La Horqueta streams at the Roggero reservoir—which receives the water from the former streams—at the origin of the Reconquista River and 17 km downstream from the reservoir. We measured 25 physical and chemical parameters, including six heavy metal concentrations, and performed a multivariate statistical analysis to summarize the information and allow the interpretation of the whole data set. We found that the Durazno and La Horqueta streams had better water quality than La Choza, and the presence of the reservoir contributed to the improvement of the water quality, allowing oxygenation of the water body and processing of organic matter and ammonia. The water quality of the Reconquista River at its origin is good and similar to the reservoir, but a few kilometers downstream, the water quality declines as a consequence of the presence of industries and human settlements. Therefore, the Roggero reservoir produces a significant improvement of water quality of the river, but the discharge of contaminants downstream quickly reverses this effect.     

Live diatoms as indicators of urban stormwater runoff

Diatom bioassessment of streams/rivers does not distinguish between live (cells with intact chloroplasts) and dead (empty cells) individuals, even though most diatom samples collected from the field will be composed of a mixture of both. This study aimed to evaluate whether percentage of live diatoms (PLD), live diatom density and chlorophyll a, and diatom species compositions can be used as indicators of hydrologic disturbance in an urban stream. We deployed artificial substrates on a monthly basis and collected periphyton samples weekly over the course of one calendar year (n = 182) in three tributaries of urbanized Ruddiman Creek (Michigan, USA). We also collected samples before and after six major storm events (>0.5 cm rain). We found no temporal patterns in PLD (Mann-Kendall test p > 0.05) or species composition (non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination), which may be explained by a diatom composition already tolerant to frequent disturbance. There was no difference in PLD before and after storm events, which might partially be explained by their disturbance resistance due to different assemblage ages (1, 2, and 4 weeks old) before the storms. High flow had differential effects on diatom species; loosely attached Navicula and Nitzschia species were more easily removed compared to stalk-forming Gomphonema parvulum. The most important environmental variable that was found to affect live diatom density and chlorophyll was stream width, which has an indirect effect (as a measure of discharge) on periphyton assemblages. In conclusion, PLD was found to be unsuitable metric for assessing stormwater runoff in urban streams where periphyton may not have enough time to form mature communities.     

Indices of Benthic Community Tolerance in Contaminated Great Lakes Sediments: Relations with Sediment Contaminant Concentrations, Sediment Toxicity, and the Sediment Quality Triad

We evaluated the toxic-units model developed by Wildhaber and Schmitt (1996) as a predictor of indices of mean tolerance to pollution (i.e., Lenat, 1993; Hilsenhoff, 1987) and other benthic community indices from Great Lakes sediments containing complex mixtures of environmental contaminants (e.g., polychlorinated biphenyls – PCBs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – PAHs, pesticides, chlorinated dioxins, and metals). Sediment toxic units were defined as the ratio of the estimated pore-water concentration of a contaminant to its chronic toxicity as estimated by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Ambient Water Quality Criteria (AWQC) or other applicable standard. The total hazard of a sediment to aquatic life was assessed by summing toxic units for all contaminants quantified. Among the benthic community metrics evaluated, total toxic units were most closely correlated with Lenat's (1993) and Hilsenhoff's (1987) indices of community tolerance (T _L and T _H , respectively); toxic units accounted for 42% T _L and 53% T _H of variability in community tolerance as measured by Ponar grabs. In contrast, taxonomic richness and Shannon-Wiener diversity were not correlated (P > 0.05) with toxic units. Substitution of order- or family-level identifications for lowest possible (mostly genus- or species-) level identifications in the calculation of T _L and T _H indices weakened the relationships with toxic units. Tolerance values based on order- and family-level identifications of benthos for artificial substrate samples were more strongly correlated with toxic units than tolerance values for benthos from Ponar grabs. The ability of the toxic-units model to predict the other two components (i.e., laboratory-measured sediment toxicity and benthic community composition) of the Sediment Quality Triad (SQT) may obviate the need for the SQT in some situations.     

Littoral diatoms as indicators of recent water and sediment contamination by metals in lakes

We studied the response of benthic diatoms to recent metal contamination in littoral cores collected at 25 sites in 11 lakes situated at different distances from a smelter in the Rouyn-Noranda mining region (Quebec). Diatom response was described in terms of density, diversity, and taxonomic composition of the entire assemblages and as abundance of individual indicator taxa. Metal concentrations were measured in sediment and in the overlying water (as total dissolved and as free-ions). Sediment metal contamination was significantly higher in lakes located <10 km from the smelters than in lakes farther away. Such difference was not significant when metal concentrations in the overlying water were considered. Metal contamination did not affect diatom density, which indeed was highest in the most contaminated lake. Diversity (either measured as number of taxa or as Shannon and evenness indices) was instead significantly higher in lakes close to the smelter than elsewhere. Redundancy analysis indicated that diatom composition changed along a gradient in alkalinity (CO?) and one in sediment metal contamination (Cd, Hg, Cu). We identified three diatom taxa (Fragilaria construens var. venter, F. construens var. pumila, and Brachysira vitrea) that increased in relative and absolute abundance with metal contamination. Benthic diatom responses at the community (density, diversity, assemblage composition) and population levels (abundance of selected benthic taxa) were stronger to the sediment metal contamination than to the contamination of overlying water. Comparisons with available literature indicated that, for monitoring recent sediment contamination, diatoms in littoral sediments are preferable to invertebrates that mostly respond to overlying water. Diatoms in littoral cores are therefore unique as tools for monitoring recent contamination of lake sediments.     

Estimating aquatic toxicity as determined through laboratory tests of great lakes sediments containing complex mixtures of environmental contaminants

We developed and evaluated a total toxic units modeling approach for predicting mean toxicity as measured in laboratory tests for Great Lakes sediments containing complex mixtures of environmental contaminants (e.g., polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, chlorinated dioxins, and metals). The approach incorporates equilibrium partitioning and organic carbon control of bioavailability for organic contaminants and acid volatile sulfide (AVS) control for metals, and includes toxic equivalency for planar organic chemicals. A toxic unit is defined as the ratio of the estimated pore-water concentration of a contaminant to the chronic toxicity of that contaminant, as estimated by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Ambient Water Quality Criteria (AWQC). The toxic unit models we developed assume complete additivity of contaminant effects, are completely mechanistic in form, and were evaluated without any a posteriori modification of either the models or the data from which the models were developed and against which they were tested. A linear relationship between total toxic units, which included toxicity attributable to both iron and un-ionized ammonia, accounted for about 88% of observed variability in mean toxicity; a quadratic relationship accounted for almost 94%. Exclusion of either bioavailability components (i.e., equilibrium partitioning control of organic contaminants and AVS control of metals) or iron from the model substantially decreased its ability to predict mean toxicity. A model based solely on un-ionized ammonia accounted for about 47% of the variability in mean toxicity. We found the toxic unit approach to be a viable method for assessing and ranking the relative potential toxicity of contaminated sediments.The U.S. Government right to retain a non-exclusive royalty free licence in and to any copyright is acknowledged.     

Monitoring of pharmaceutically active compounds on the Guadalquivir River basin (Spain): occurrence and risk assessment

Guadalquivir River (South of Spain) is among the major freshwater sources of the European Atlantic basin. Until now scientific efforts have been focused on contamination by heavy metals and some priority pollutants in Guadalquivir River. However, the presence of "emerging contaminants", such as pharmaceutically active compounds, has not yet been studied. In this work the occurrence and risk assessment of sixteen pharmaceutically active compounds, belonging to different therapeutic groups, in Guadalquivir River during its course through Seville city are reported. Wastewater effluents from four wastewater treatment plants discharging into Guadalquivir River and river water samples were analyzed. All studied pharmaceutically active compounds, except sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, estrone and clofibric acid, were detected in effluent wastewaters at concentration levels up to 28.9 μg L(-1). Among the pharmaceutically active compounds found in effluent wastewater, seven were present in Guadalquivir River samples at concentration levels up to 0.75 μg L(-1), which indicated an important dilution from effluent discharge. Environmental risk assessment reveals that potential ecotoxicological risk cannot be expected on Guadalquivir River at measured concentration levels. Only, the lipid regulator gemfibrozil showed a medium risk for the environment. The risk for acute toxic effects in the environment with the current use of active pharmaceutical ingredients is unlikely. However, the results do not rule out the potential for chronic environmental effects.     

Estimating vertebrate,benthic macroinvertebrate,and diatom taxa richness in raftable Pacific Northwest rivers for bioassessment purposes

The number of sites sampled must be considered when determining the effort necessary for adequately assessing taxa richness in an ecosystem for bioassessment purposes; however, there have been few studies concerning the number of sites necessary for bioassessment of large rivers. We evaluated the effect of sample size (i.e., number of sites) necessary to collect vertebrate (fish and aquatic amphibians), macroinvertebrate, and diatom taxa from seven large rivers in Oregon and Washington, USA during the summers of 2006–2008. We used Monte Carlo simulation to determine the number of sites needed to collect 90–95% of the taxa 75–95% of the time from 20 randomly located sites on each river. The river wetted widths varied from 27.8 to 126.0 m, mean substrate size varied from 1 to 10 cm, and mainstem distances sampled varied from 87 to 254 km. We sampled vertebrates at each site (i.e., 50 times the mean wetted channel width) by nearshore-raft electrofishing. We sampled benthic macroinvertebrates nearshore through the use of a 500-μm mesh kick net at 11 systematic stations. From each site composite sample, we identified a target of 500 macroinvertebrate individuals to the lowest possible taxon, usually genus. We sampled benthic diatoms nearshore at the same 11 stations from a 12-cm² area. At each station, we sucked diatoms from soft substrate into a 60-ml syringe or brushed them off a rock and rinsed them with river water into the same jar. We counted a minimum of 600 valves at 1,000× magnification for each site. We collected 120–211 diatom taxa, 98–128 macroinvertebrate taxa, and 14–33 vertebrate species per river. To collect 90-95% of the taxa 75-95% of the time that were collected at 20 sites, it was necessary to sample 11–16 randomly distributed sites for vertebrates, 13–17 sites for macroinvertebrates, and 16–18 sites for diatoms. We conclude that 12–16 randomly distributed sites are needed for cost-efficient sampling of vertebrate richness in the main stems of our study rivers, but 20 sites markedly underestimates the species richness of benthic macroinvertebrates and diatoms in those rivers.     

Influence of drought and municipal sewage effluents on the baseflow water chemistry of an upper piedmont river

The Reedy River in South Carolina is affected by the urban area of Greenville, the third most populous city in the state, and by the effluents from two large-scale municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located on the river. Riverine water chemistry was characterized using grab samples collected annually under spring season baseflow conditions. During the 4-year time period associated with this study, climatic variations included two severe drought spring seasons (2001 and 2002), one above-normal precipitation spring season (2003), and one below-normal precipitation spring season (2004). The influence of drought and human activities on the baseflow chemistry of the river was evaluated by comparing concentrations of dissolved anions, total metals, and other important water chemistry parameters for these different years. Concentrations of copper and zinc, common non-point source contaminants related to urban activities, were not substantially elevated in the river within the urban area under baseflow conditions when compared with headwater and tributary samples. In contrast, nitrate concentrations increased from 1.2–1.6 mg/l up to 2.6–2.9 mg/l through the urban stream reach. Concentrations of other major anions (e.g., sulfate, nitrate) also increased along the reach, suggesting that the river receives continuous inputs of these species from within the urban area. The highest concentrations of major cations and anions typically were observed immediately downstream from the two WWTP effluent discharge locations. Attenuation of nitrate downstream from the WWTPs did not always track chloride changes, suggesting that nitrate concentrations were being controlled by biochemical processes in addition to physical processes. The relative trends in decreasing nitrate concentrations with downstream distance appeared to depend on drought versus non-drought conditions, with biological processes presumably serving as a more important control during non-drought spring seasons.     

Physicochemical and ecotoxicological based assessment of bottom sediments from the Luján River basin, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The physicochemical analysis of bottom sediments of the Lujan River was done on samples from 14 sites situated along its course and covered grain size and organic matter, total N and P, sulfides, heavy metals, organochlorine, and pyrethroid pesticides. In addition, acute 10-day whole-sediment laboratory toxicity tests were carried with each sample, using the native amphipod Hyalella curvispina as test organism. In order to correlate both types of results, data were assessed by multivariate analysis, including principal component analysis (PCA). The physicochemical profile of samples resulted similar along the river course, though several anomalous data were registered in the middle course of the river, mainly in samples taken downstream a large industrial complex; with a few exceptions in upper basin sites characterized by the dominance of agricultural activities, the pesticides concentration were consistently below the analytical detection limits. Almost 50 % of the samples induced adverse effects on the amphipod when testing sublethal and lethal end points. The toxicity of the samples in terms of survival rate was extremely high in two sites, in particular in samples taken downstream the Pilar industrial complex. The integration of a selection of physicochemical and toxicological parameters of the sediments by PCA allowed discriminating areas of the river basin according the type and intensity of their particular pollution condition.     

Using the Sediment Quality Triad to characterize baseline conditions in the Anacostia River, Washington, DC, USA

The Sediment Quality Triad (SQT) consists of complementary measures of sediment chemistry, benthic community structure, and sediment toxicity. We applied the SQT at 20 stations in the tidal portion of the Anacostia River from Bladensburg, MD to Washington, DC to establish a baseline of conditions to evaluate the effects of management actions. Sediment toxicity was assessed using 10-day survival and growth tests with the freshwater amphipod, Hyalella azteca and the midge, Chironomus dilutus. Triplicate grabs were taken at each station for benthic community analysis and the Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (B-IBI) was used to interpret the data. Only one station, #92, exhibited toxicity related to sediment contamination. Sediments from this station significantly inhibited growth of both test species, had the highest concentrations of contaminants, and had a degraded benthic community, indicated by a B-IBI of less than 3. Additional sediment from this station was tested and sediment toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) procedures tentatively characterized organic compounds as the cause of toxicity. Overall, forty percent of the stations were classified as degraded by the B-IBI. However, qualitative and quantitative comparisons with sediment quality benchmarks indicated no clear relationship between benthic community health and contaminant concentrations. This study provides a baseline for assessing the effectiveness of management actions in the Anacostia River.