Utilization of a new bdelloid rotifer (Philodina acuticornis odiosa) assay to evaluate the effect of salinity on the toxicity of chlorothalonil

Acute (24 h) toxicity tests were conducted to determine the toxicity of the fungicide chlorothalonil towards the freshwater bdelloid rotifer (Philodina acuticornis odiosa). Since rotifers are the dominant zooplankton species in many inland freshwater lakes in Australia, the influence of salinity on chlorothalonil toxicty was also assessed. The rotifers used in this study appeared to be reasonably tolerant to changes in salinity, with little mortality observed at 3760 µS cm^?1, increasing thereafter at higher salinity. The bdelloid rotifers were, however, found to be highly sensitive to chlorothalonil (24 h LC50, 3.2 µg L^?1) with results also suggesting that as salinity increases, so does toxicity (e.g., 24 h LC50 at 5000 µS cm^?1, 0.5 µg L^?1).     

Changes in life histories of cladocerans (Cladocera) from the rotifer-mediated allelochemicals

ABSTRACT

We hypothesised that at higher densities herbivorous rotifers through their allelochemicals affect the survival and reproduction of cladocerans. To test this, we separately cultured three rotifers (Brachionus calyciflorus, Brachionus havanaensis, and Plationus patulus) and three cladocerans (Ceriodaphnia dubia, Daphnia pulex, and Moina macrocopa). Chlorella vulgaris was used as food and reconstituted moderately hard water was used as medium. The conditioned-medium (CM) obtained from each of rotifer species was used to conduct cohort life table tests of cladocerans. SDS PAGE electrophoresis revealed the molecular weights of proteins present in the rotifer conditioned medium were 55–63?kDa. Compared to C. dubia and D. pulex, Moina was more resistant to rotifer-mediated chemicals. Gross reproductive rate of C. dubia was significantly stimulated by the rotifer-CM. However, gross and net reproductive rates of D. pulex were strongly reduced (72–85%) due to P. patulus-CM but not from the other two rotifer species. The rate of population increase of M. macrocopa was significantly reduced by the rotifer CM. Overall, about 46% (adverse effect: 24%; stimulatory impact: 22%) of the life history variables in controls significantly differed from rotifer-CM treatments, thus proving our hypothesis that rotifer-mediated allelochemicals had some effect on the cladoceran life history variables.     

广东省蛭态轮虫物种多样性及其系统发育研究

为了解广东省蛭态轮虫物种多样性,采集广东省不同水陆生境样品98份,记录蛭态轮虫3目4科12属66种（含亚种）.陆生环境中鉴定出蛭态轮虫56种,其中苔藓生境42种、落叶生境40种、地衣生境12种,水生生境蛭态轮虫15种,陆生生境的蛭态轮虫种类明显多于水生生境蛭态轮虫.为验证形态鉴定的准确性,获取蛭态轮虫COⅠ基因序列4属16种37条,种间遗传距离8.59%~23.17%,其中楔足盘网轮虫（Adineta cuneata）和迅捷旋轮虫（Philodina rapida）的COⅠ基因序列为全球首次报道.COI基因序列中腺嘌呤（A）与胸腺嘧啶（T）的总含量（71.2%）远大于鸟嘌呤（G）与胞嘧啶（C）（28.8%）的含量.系统发育树的聚类结果与形态学物种鉴定结果一致;同属形态相近的物种,具有较高的同源性.研究结果表明,形态学鉴定与DNA条形码技术相结合,有助于提高蛭态轮虫种类鉴定的准确性和探究蛭态轮虫各属的发育地位,促进蛭态轮虫物种多样性和生态学研究.     

轮虫对生物膜处理城市河道污水的优化作用

生物膜蓄积老化是影响生物膜活性和净化效果的关键问题,通过引入微型动物增加食物链长度和增强较高营养级生物捕食作用的生物法在解决该问题上具有经济、环保和操作简单等优点。轮虫广泛存在于各种水体并能捕食细菌,可作为生物法应用的理想微型动物。利用生物法的原理,采用城市河道污水为实验用水进行挂膜,通过投加轮虫于生物膜成熟的水箱中,探讨轮虫对控制生物膜蓄积老化的作用。结果显示,投加组与对照组的生物膜干重和主要污染物(氨氮、总磷和COD)去除率没有显著差异(P0.05);两组的细菌总数和生物膜活性均表现出下降趋势,但是,相对对照组,投加组细菌总数下降显著(P0.05);相对投加组,对照组生物膜活性下降极显著(P0.01)。研究表明轮虫的投加在短期内不能显著增加生物膜的净化效果,但在细菌总数控制和生物膜活性维持上具有显著作用,因此,轮虫在解决生物膜蓄积老化问题上具有潜在的应用价值。     

城市景观河道营养状况与轮虫群落结构

为了解城市景观河道治理过程水质与轮虫群落结构的关系,于2012年5月至2014年12月对江苏省常州市景观河道进行了调查。利用综合营养状态指数法对景观河道的营养状况进行评价;并通过轮虫群落种类组成、优势种、生物量及多样性指数等指标探讨了轮虫群落结构与水体营养水平之间的关系。结果表明,景观河道总体处于富营养状态,主要是由河道中氮磷等污染物浓度过高引起;调查期间检出轮虫共22种,其中优势种为萼花臂尾轮虫（479个·L-1）、蒲达臂尾轮虫（98个·L-1）以及针簇多肢轮虫（137个·L-1）;轮虫总数量处于较低水平（312个·L-1）,多样性水平不高,轮虫数量与各污染物营养状态指数呈负相关;生物量与总氮营养状态指数呈极显著负相关。     

南水北调工程对长江口轮虫的影响研究

通过2005年9月(丰水期)和2006年4月(枯水期)两次对长江口轮虫的分布调查,研究南水北调东线工程实施后长江口轮虫的变化规律,比较南北两支轮虫种类、密度、生物量的分布状况,分析轮虫的演变规律及其与盐度、径流量、含沙量等的关系,探讨南水北调工程对水生生物的影响。     

Innovative method of culturing bdelloid rotifers for the application of wastewater biological treatment

• An innovative method of culturing bdelloid rotifer fed on flour was proposed. • Rotifer fed on flour grew faster than that fed on bacteria or Chlorella vulgaris. • The optimum mass culture conditions for rotifer fed on flour were investigated. • The cultured rotifer could improve sludge settleability in the SBR. This study aims to establish a simple and efficient method for the mass culture of bdelloid rotifers, which is the basis for the application of bdelloid rotifers as biological manipulators to improve wastewater biological treatment performance. A common bdelloid rotifer, Habrotrocha sp., in a wastewater biological treatment system was selected as the culture target. Rotifers fed on flour could reproduce faster than those fed traditional food such as Chlorella vulgaris or mixed bacteria. As a rotifer food, flour has the advantages of simple preparation, effortless preservation, and low cost compared to live Chlorella vulgaris or mixed bacteria, so it is more suitable for the mass culture of rotifers. The optimal rotifer culture conditions using flour as food were also studied. According to the experimental results, the recommended rotifer culture conditions are a flour particle size of 1 μm, a flour concentration of 6 × 10⁶ cell/mL, a temperature of 28℃, a pH level of 6.5 and salinity of 100–500 mg/L. In addition, the sludge volume index in the sequencing batch reactor (SBR) with the addition of cultured rotifers was 59.9 mL/g at the end of operation and decreased by 18.2% compared to SBR without rotifer, which indicates that the cultured rotifers still retained the function of helping to improve sludge settling. This function may be related to the rotifer’s role in inhibiting bacteria from producing loosely bound extracellular polymeric substances in the SBR.