Assessing estrogenic activity in surface water and sediment of the Liao River system in northeast China using combined chemical and biological tools

This paper investigated some selected estrogenic compounds (4-t-octylphenol: 4-t-OP; 4-nonylphenols: 4-NP; bisphenol-A: BPA; diethylstilbestrol: DES; estrone: E1; 17β-estradiol: E2; 17α-Ethinylestradiol: EE2; triclosan: TCS) and estrogenicity in the Liao River system using the combined chemical and in vitro yeast screen bioassay and assessed their ecological risks to aquatic organisms. The estrogenic compounds 4-t-OP, 4-NP, BPA, E1, E2 and TCS were detected in most of the samples, with their concentrations up to 52.1 2065.7, 755.6, 55.8, 7.4 and 81.3 ng/L in water, and up to 8.6, 558.4, 33.8, 7.9, <LOQ and 33.9 ng/g in sediment, respectively. However, DES and EE2 were not detected in the Liao River. The estrogen equivalents (EEQ) of the water and sediment samples were also measured by the bioassay. High estrogenic risks to aquatic organisms were found in the river sections of metropolitan areas and the lower reach of the river system.     

Inconsistency and comprehensiveness of risk assessments for heavy metals in urban surface sediments

Numerous indices have been developed to assess environmental risk of heavy metals in surface sediments, including the total content based geoaccumulation index (I_geo), exchangeable fraction based risk assessment code (RAC), and biological toxicity test based sediment quality guidelines (SQGs). In this study, the three indices were applied to freshwater surface sediments from 10 sections along an urbanization gradient of the Grand Canal, China to assess the environmental risks of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, and Cr) and to understand discrepancies of risk assessment indices and urbanization effects regarding heavy metal contamination. Results showed that Cd, Zn, and Pb were the most enriched metals in urban sections assessed by I_geo and over 95% of the samples exceeded the Zn and Pb thresholds of the effect range low (ERL) of SQGs. According to RAC, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Cr had high risks of adversely affecting the water quality of the Grand Canal due to their remarkable portions of exchangeable fraction in surface sediment. However, Pb showed a relative low risk, and was largely bounded to Fe/Mn oxides in the urban surface sediments. Obviously, the three assessment indices were not consistent with each other in terms of predicting environmental risks attributed to heavy metals in the freshwater surface sediments of this study. It is recommended that risk assessment by SQGs should be revised according to availability and site specificity. However, the combination of the three indices gave us a comprehensive understanding of heavy metal risks in the urban surface sediments of the Grand Canal.     

气相色谱法同时测定苯系物和汽油化合物

气相色谱法具有较高的灵敏度和良好的线性关系。按照EPA QA／QC的要求,将该方法运用于实际样品分析。结果表明。水中汽油检出限为0．04mg／L。水中苯系物检出限为0．003-0．005mg／L,土壤中汽油检出限为0．5mg／kg,土壤中苯系物检出限为0.005-0．008mg／kg。样品加标回收率为97．1％～106．8％。变异系数为2．1％～4．6％,结果令人满意。     

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.     

A chemical and toxicological profile of Dutch North Sea surface sediments

Chemical and toxicological profiles were assessed in surface sediments (fraction <63 μm) from the southern North Sea. In extracts of freeze-dried samples, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), Irgarol 1051 and phthalate concentrations were below the respective detection limits (except di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, which was between 170 and 3300 μg kg⁻¹ dry weight (dw)). Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) concentrations were between 0.8 and 6.9 μg kg⁻¹ dw, with highest concentrations at river mouths. Polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDE) concentrations were 0.4–0.6 μg kg⁻¹ dw, decabromodiphenylether (BDE209) 1–32 μg kg⁻¹ dw. The ratio BDE209/PCB153 was used as a tracer for recent emissions, and pointed towards a BDE209 source in the Western Scheldt’s upper estuary. PCBs and PAHs were between 0.19–4.7 and 2.6–200 μg kg⁻¹ dw respectively and generally had highest concentrations at near-shore locations and river mouths.

Responses in the Microtox broad-spectrum and the Mutatox genotoxicity assays were generally low, with near-shore locations giving higher responses. The umu-C genotoxicity and the ER-CALUX assay for estrogenicity showed no response, with the exception of one near-shore location (IJmuiden outer harbour, ER-CALUX).

Highest dioxin-like toxicity (DR-CALUX) was found at near-shore locations, in the outflow of the Rhine/Meuse estuary including a dumping site of harbour sludge. At the Oyster Grounds, DR-CALUX responses appeared to be linked to the occurrence of larger PAHs (4–6 rings). A new, non-destructive clean up procedure resulted in significantly higher DR-CALUX responses than the current protocol. The Dutch legislation on disposal of harbour sludge at sea, dictates the use of the conventional clean up procedure. Our results therefore indicate that probably more dioxin-like toxicity associated with harbour sludge is disposed off at sea than assumed.     

吹扫捕集-气质联用法测定水中9种酯类物质

采用吹扫捕集-气相色谱／质谱联用法测定水中9种酯类有机物,加入硫酸钠盐提高灵敏度,当硫酸钠过饱和时,吹扫捕集效率最高。9种酯类有机物在一定的质量浓度范围内线性关系良好,方法检出限为0．14μg／L～0．25μg／L,模拟样品平行测定的RSD为0．6％～1．8％,加标回收率为80％～106％。     

骆马湖地区水体、沉积物中农药筛查和分布特征

采用气相色谱/质谱（GC/MS）非靶向筛查技术,分别于2019年11月5—7日（枯水期）、2020年4月24—26日（平水期）和2020年7月15—16日（丰水期）对骆马湖地区水体和沉积物中的农药残留进行了筛查并对其空间分布特征进行研究。结果表明,水中筛查出主要农药13种,除草剂占比62%,检出率＞95%的农药有丁草胺、环嗪酮、异丙甲草胺、多效唑、噻氟菌胺、稻瘟灵、毒死蜱、阿特拉津、避蚊胺和莠灭净,阿特拉津检出质量浓度最高（ND～10 599 ng/L,平均值为725.5 ng/L）,其次为多效唑（ND～2 089 ng/L,平均值为237.0 ng/L）和噻氟菌胺（ND～1 991 ng/L,平均值为237.2 ng/L）。与国内其他地区相比,骆马湖地区水中农药污染处于中等水平,其中阿特拉津、稻瘟灵和毒死蜱的生态风险值得重点关注。骆马湖及入湖河流水中农药总质量浓度呈现丰水期＞平水期＞枯水期的特点,与地表径流、农药的性质及其在水体中的释放等因素有关,丰水期入湖口和省界来水中农药对饮用水水源地的影响较大。沉积物中筛查出9种农药,总体含量不高,且仅扑灭净和避蚊胺检出率>95%,其余<20%。     

Spatial variations of macrozoobenthos and sediment nutrients in Lake Yangcheng: Emphasis on effect of pen culture of Chinese mitten crab

We determined the effect of Chinese mitten crab (CMC) pen culture on the quantified spatial distribution of the macrozoobenthic community and sediment nutrients in Lake Yangcheng. Redundancy analysis indicated that water temperature, macrophyte occurrence, sediment type, and crab culture were the main environmental factors that influence the spatiotemporal macrozoobenthic distribution. Macrozoobenthic assemblages in the lake were characterized by eutrophic indicator species. In the most polluted estuaries, the abundance and diversity indices of the whole community and abundance of chironomids and oligochaetes were significantly depressed, and sediment carbon (C) and phosphorus (P) were significantly enhanced compared with those in the western, middle (MB), and eastern basin (EB). Crab culture in this lake had significant effects on the species composition of the macrozoobenthic community in one of three CMC culture pens (CP), and generally depressed the abundance of most chironomid and oligochaete species. Significantly increased diversity, evenness, sediment carbon and nitrogen content, and sediment C:P ratio in the CP were found compared with those in the three basins. However, no conspicuous difference in sediment P content between the CP and the two basins of MB and EB was detected. Our results showed that the enhanced diversity and evenness of macrozoobenthos might be associated with the joint effect of macrophyte planting and crab predation, and macrophyte planting may modify the effects of CMC culture by leading to disproportional accumulation of C and N in the sediment relative to P in the CP of the lake.     

Catchment soils as a factor of trace metal accumulation in sediments of the reservoir Klingenberg (eastern Ore Mountains, Germany)

The release and accumulation dynamics of trace metals in soils and aquatic sediments were exemplarily investigated in the catchment area of the Reservoir Klingenberg(Germany). Catchment soils were examined for mobilizable and total concentrations of arsenic(As), cadmium(Cd), chrome(Cr), iron(Fe), manganese(Mn), nickel(Ni), lead(Pb),and zinc(Zn) and compared with trace metal quantities accumulated in riverbed and reservoir sediments. The comparison of all samples showed relatively small variations of Cr(7.96–46.0 mg/kg), Fe(7.79–40.4 g/kg), and Ni(6.06–56.5 mg/kg), while stronger differences were found for As(11.2–164 mg/kg), Cd(0.14–30.5 mg/kg), Mn(0.08–1.84 g/kg), Pb(20.7–183 mg/kg), and Zn(69.1–916 mg/kg). The catchment soils were slightly enriched by Cd, Pb, and Zn. Especially Cd and Zn were characterized by large mobilizable proportions.The mean trace metal concentrations in riverbed sediments were higher than in catchment soils, while reservoir sediments accumulated the highest amounts of the analyzed elements. The enrichment of trace metals in reservoir sediments was generally determined by the sedimentation of fine particles, while the distribution of As, Fe, and Mn was additionally impacted by redox conditions. For Cd and Zn, which in comparison were most enriched in riverbed and reservoir sediments, a significant release from soils by leaching processes was observed. The accumulation of As and Pb in reservoir sediments was influenced to a greater extent by soil erosion and by anthropogenic or chalcogen sources in the catchment.     

沉积物中三丁基锡对铜锈环棱螺肝胰脏抗氧化防御系统的影响

以铜锈环棱螺(Bellamya aeruginosa)为试验对象,采用人工添加TBT的自然沉积物对铜锈环棱螺进行静态暴露实验,研究了沉积物中不同浓度TBT长期暴露(30 d)对铜锈环棱螺肝胰脏的超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)和谷胱甘肽(GSH)的影响,以揭示TBT对它们影响的浓度效应关系。结果表明,沉积物中低浓度(100 ng/g)TBT对SOD、CAT和GSH没有影响。当TBT浓度为500～1000 ng/g时,SOD活性呈现浓度依耐性的升高。当TBT浓度为200～1000 ng/g时,CAT活性表现为浓度依耐性的升高。高浓度(2000 ng/g)TBT则导致SOD和CAT活性急剧下降,分别比对照下降了67.33%和54.87%。当TBT浓度为200～1000 ng/g时,GSH含量呈现浓度依耐性的下降,高浓度(2000 ng/g)TBT导致GSH含量急剧下降,比对照下降了76.87%。环境水平的TBT长期暴露对铜锈环棱螺肝胰脏产生了氧化胁迫,高浓度的TBT长期胁迫使肝胰脏受到了严重的氧化损伤。CAT和GSH可以用作环境水平TBT长期暴露的有效生物标志物。