Evaluation of a combined macrophyte–epiphyte bioassay for assessing nutrient enrichment in the Portneuf River,Idaho, USA

We describe and evaluate a laboratory bioassay that uses Lemna minor L. and attached epiphytes to characterize the status of ambient and nutrient-enriched water from the Portneuf River, Idaho. Specifically, we measured morphological (number of fronds, longest surface axis, and root length) and population-level (number of plants and dry mass) responses of L. minor and community-level (ash-free dry mass [AFDM] and chlorophyll a [Chl a]) responses of epiphytes to nutrient enrichment. Overall, measures of macrophyte biomass and abundance increased with increasing concentrations of dissolved phosphorus (P) and responded more predictably to nutrient enrichment than morphological measures. Epiphyte AFDM and Chl a were also greatest in P-enriched water; enrichments of N alone produced no measurable epiphytic response. The epiphyte biomass response did not directly mirror macrophyte biomass responses, illustrating the value of a combined macrophyte–epiphyte assay to more fully evaluate nutrient management strategies. Finally, the most P-enriched waters not only supported greater standing stocks of macrophyte and epiphytes but also had significantly higher water column dissolved oxygen and dissolved organic carbon concentrations and a lower pH. Advantages of this macrophyte–epiphyte bioassay over more traditional single-species assays include the use of a more realistic level of biological organization, a relatively short assay schedule (~10 days), and the inclusion of multiple biological response and water-quality measures.     

Approach for extrapolating in vitro metabolism data to refine bioconcentration factor estimates

National and international chemical management programs are assessing thousands of chemicals for their persistence, bioaccumulative and environmental toxic properties; however, data for evaluating the bioaccumulation potential for fish are limited. Computer based models that account for the uptake and elimination processes that contribute to bioaccumulation may help to meet the need for reliable estimates. One critical elimination process of chemicals is metabolic transformation. It has been suggested that in vitro metabolic transformation tests using fish liver hepatocytes or S9 fractions can provide rapid and cost-effective measurements of fish metabolic potential, which could be used to refine bioconcentration factor (BCF) computer model estimates. Therefore, recent activity has focused on developing in vitro methods to measure metabolic transformation in cellular and subcellular fish liver fractions. A method to extrapolate in vitro test data to the whole body metabolic transformation rates is presented that could be used to refine BCF computer model estimates. This extrapolation approach is based on concepts used to determine the fate and distribution of drugs within the human body which have successfully supported the development of new pharmaceuticals for years. In addition, this approach has already been applied in physiologically-based toxicokinetic models for fish. The validity of the in vitro to in vivo extrapolation is illustrated using the rate of loss of parent chemical measured in two independent in vitro test systems: (1) subcellular enzymatic test using the trout liver S9 fraction, and (2) primary hepatocytes isolated from the common carp. The test chemicals evaluated have high quality in vivo BCF values and a range of logK(ow) from 3.5 to 6.7. The results show very good agreement between the measured BCF and estimated BCF values when the extrapolated whole body metabolism rates are included, thus suggesting that in vitro biotransformation data could effectively be used to reduce in vivo BCF testing and refine BCF model estimates. However, additional fish physiological data for parameterization and validation for a wider range of chemicals are needed.     

Uptake and depuration of the anti-depressant fluoxetine by the Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes)

The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class of anti-depressants is among the most widely prescribed groups of pharmaceuticals. Consequently, aquatic ecosystems impacted by municipal wastewater discharges are predicted to receive substantial annual loadings of these compounds. Although SSRIs have been detected in fish tissues, little is known of their uptake and depuration in freshwater fish species. In this study, Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) were exposed to fluoxetine at a nominal concentration of 0.64 microg L(-1) for 7d and subsequently allowed to depurate in clean water over a 21d period. Fluoxetine uptake by medaka was observed within the first 5h of exposure and the biologically active metabolite, norfluoxetine, was also detected in medaka tissues during this timeframe. A maximum fluoxetine concentration was measured in medaka by the third day of the uptake phase, yielding an uptake rate constant (k(1)) of 5.9+/-0.5 (d(-1)). During the depuration phase of the experiment, a half life of 9.4+/-1.1d was determined for fluoxetine. Using these data, bioconcentration factor (BCF) values of 74 and 80 were estimated for fluoxetine and a pseudo-BCF (the ratio of the concentration of norfluoxetine in medaka and the aqueous fluoxetine concentration) of 117 was calculated for norfluoxetine. These results indicate longer persistence and greater potential for the bioaccumulation of fluoxetine and norfluoxetine in fish tissues than would be predicted from prior half life estimates derived using mammalian species.     

Removal of toxic ions (chromate, arsenate, and perchlorate) using reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, and ultrafiltration membranes

Rejection characteristics of chromate, arsenate, and perchlorate were examined for one reverse osmosis (RO, LFC-1), two nanofiltration (NF, ESNA, and MX07), and one ultrafiltration (UF and GM) membranes that are commercially available. A bench-scale cross-flow flat-sheet filtration system was employed to determine the toxic ion rejection and the membrane flux. Both model and natural waters were used to prepare chromate, arsenate, and perchlorate solutions (approximately 100 μg L⁻¹ for each anion) in mixtures in the presence of other salts (KCl, K₂SO₄, and CaCl₂); and at varying pH conditions (4, 6, 8, and 10) and solution conductivities (30, 60, and 115 mS m⁻¹). The rejection of target ions by the membranes increases with increasing solution pH due to the increasingly negative membrane charge with synthetic model waters. Cr(VI), As(V), and rejection follows the order LFC-1 (>90%) > MX07 (25–95%)  ESNA (30–90%) > GM (3–47%) at all pH conditions. In contrast, the rejection of target ions by the membranes decreases with increasing solution conductivity due to the decreasingly negative membrane charge. Cr(VI), As(V), and rejection follows the order CaCl₂ < KCl  K₂SO₄ at constant pH and conductivity conditions for the NF and UF membranes tested. For natural waters the LFC-1 RO membrane with a small pore size (0.34 nm) had a significantly greater rejection for those target anions (>90%) excluding (71–74%) than the ESNA NF membrane (11–56%) with a relatively large pore size (0.44 nm), indicating that size exclusion is at least partially responsible for the rejection. The ratio of solute radius (r_i,s) to effective membrane pore radius (r_p) was employed to compare ion rejection. For all of the ions, the rejection is higher than 70% when the r_i,s/r_p ratio is greater than 0.4 for the LFC-1 membrane, while for di-valent ions (, , and ) the rejection (38–56%) is fairly proportional to the r_i,s/r_p ratio (0.32–0.62) for the ESNA membrane.     

Priority organic micropollutants in water sources in Flanders and the Netherlands and assessment of removal possibilities with nanofiltration

The occurrence of organic micropollutants in ground- and surface waters has become an important concern for the drinking water industry, mainly because of possible related health effects. Due to the polar nature of some of these pollutants, they are not completely removed by traditional water treatment barriers. This paper offers an overview of priority organic micropollutants and their occurrence in Flemish and Dutch water sources. Furthermore, rejection by nanofiltration is qualitatively predicted for the selected priority micropollutants. The qualitative prediction is based on the values of key solute and membrane parameters in nanofiltration. Predicted values are then compared with experimental values obtained from literature. Overall, the qualitative predictions are roughly in agreement with literature values. Prediction based on key parameters may thus prove to be a very quick and useful technique to assess the implementation of nanofiltration as a treatment step for organic micropollutants in drinking water plant design.     

Soil Aquifer Treatment (SAT) as a Natural and Sustainable Wastewater Reclamation/Reuse Technology: Fate of Wastewater Effluent Organic Matter (EfOM) and Trace Organic Compounds

Through the use of innovative analytical tools, the removal/transformation of wastewater effluent organic matter (EfOM) have been tracked through soil aquifer treatment (SAT). While the total amount of EfOM is significantly reduced by SAT, there are trends of shorter term versus longer term removals of specific EfOM fractions. The preferential removal of non-humic components (e.g., proteins, polysaccharides) of EfOM occurs over shorter travel times/distances while humic components (i.e., humic substances) are removed over longer travel times/distances, with the removal of both by sustainable biodegradation. Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), a surrogate for protein-like EfOM, is also effectively removed over shorter term SAT. There is some background humic-like natural organic matter (NOM), associated with the drinking water source within the watershed, that persists through SAT. While most effluent-derived trace organic compounds are removed to varying degrees as a function of travel time and redox conditions, a few persist even through longer term SAT.     

Conservation geopolitics

We reviewed recent work concerning the impact of geopolitics on wildlife conservation (and vice versa) and identified future priorities in conservation geopolitics research. Geopolitics is understood as both an analytical focus on geopolitical practices (especially concerning the behavior) of countries with respect to territory and national security and a set of theories developed to explain and predict those behaviors. We developed a typology of core geopolitical practices of relevance to conservation: territorial practices of colonization and the management of migrations and borders, and security practices relating to military, economic, and environmental security. We identified research that considers how these practices affect conservation situations and outcomes, noting the recent emergence of conceptual developments such as “environmental geopolitics” and “geopolitical ecology” that draw on multiple fields within the social sciences to theorize the links between geopolitics and environmental management. We defined a "geopolitical perspective" as a focus on geopolitical practices combined with an explicit engagement with geopolitical theory and identified conservation situations where this perspective could contribute to analytical clarity. We suggest the most pressing questions in conservation research to which the geopolitical perspective might contribute are how political and economic differences between countries affect biodiversity outcomes, how geopolitical practices to address those differences facilitate or frustrate conservation efforts, how national borders and human and wildlife movements can be better managed for the benefit of both, and how the most effective conservation strategies can be best selected to suit existing (and future) geopolitical realities.     

Determinants of bird conservation‐action implementation and associated population trends of threatened species

Conservation actions, such as habitat protection, attempt to halt the loss of threatened species and help their populations recover. The efficiency and the effectiveness of actions have been examined individually. However, conservation actions generally occur simultaneously, so the full suite of implemented conservation actions should be assessed. We used the conservation actions underway for all threatened and near‐threatened birds of the world (International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species) to assess which biological (related to taxonomy and ecology) and anthropogenic (related to geoeconomics) factors were associated with the implementation of different classes of conservation actions. We also assessed which conservation actions were associated with population increases in the species targeted. Extinction‐risk category was the strongest single predictor of the type of conservation actions implemented, followed by landmass type (continent, oceanic island, etc.) and generation length. Species targeted by invasive nonnative species control or eradication programs, ex situ conservation, international legislation, reintroduction, or education, and awareness‐raising activities were more likely to have increasing populations. These results illustrate the importance of developing a predictive science of conservation actions and the relative benefits of each class of implemented conservation action for threatened and near‐threatened birds worldwide.