Disentangling multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors in a lotic ecosystem using a longitudinal approach.

Meeting ecological and water quality standards in lotic ecosystems is often failed due to multiple stressors. However, disentangling stressor effects and identifying relevant stressor-effect-relationships in complex environmental settings remain major challenges. By combining state-of-the-art methods from ecotoxicology and aquatic ecosystem analysis, we aimed here to disentangle the effects of multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors along a longitudinal land use gradient in a third-order river in Germany. We distinguished and evaluated four dominant stressor categories along this gradient: (1) Hydromorphological alterations: Flow diversity and substrate diversity correlated with the EU-Water Framework Directive based indicators for the quality element macroinvertebrates, which deteriorated at the transition from near-natural reference sites to urban sites. (2) Elevated nutrient levels and eutrophication: Low to moderate nutrient concentrations together with complete canopy cover at the reference sites correlated with low densities of benthic algae (biofilms). We found no more systematic relation of algal density with nutrient concentrations at the downstream sites, suggesting that limiting concentrations are exceeded already at moderate nutrient concentrations and reduced shading by riparian vegetation. (3) Elevated organic matter levels: Wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and stormwater drainage systems were the primary sources of bioavailable dissolved organic carbon. Consequently, planktonic bacterial production and especially extracellular enzyme activity increased downstream of those effluents showing local peaks. (4) Micropollutants and toxicity-related stress: WWTPs were the predominant source of toxic stress, resulting in a rapid increase of the toxicity for invertebrates and algae with only one order of magnitude below the acute toxic levels. This toxicity correlates negatively with the contribution of invertebrate species being sensitive towards pesticides (SPEARpesticides index), probably contributing to the loss of biodiversity recorded in response to WWTP effluents. Our longitudinal approach highlights the potential of coordinated community efforts in supplementing established monitoring methods to tackle the complex phenomenon of multiple stress.

Relationship between the elemental composition of stream biofilms and water chemistry-a catchment approach.

As benthic biofilms mediate essential functions in stream ecosystems (e.g., carbon flux, storage of nutrients and other substances), the element-specific regulation of the biofilm composition is of great interest. We tested whether (1) the elemental composition of biofilms is related to that of the water column and (2) there are different accumulation patterns from the dissolved phase (adsorption) and the particulate phase (incorporation of suspended matter). We analysed biomass parameters, nutrients and metals in biofilms and surface waters at 28 sites within a stream network (Bode catchment, Germany). Algal biomass in biofilms was dominated by diatoms. The P/C ratio in biofilms was positively related to total phosphorus of surface water (and to the proportion of agricultural area in the catchment) indicating phosphorus limitation of biofilms, whereas the N/C ratio was not related to nitrate levels of surface water, and neither the P/C nor the N/C ratio to the concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) of surface water. Biofilms were enriched in metals compared to their concentrations in water. The metals in biofilms were positively related to the concentration of dissolved metals in surface water for iron and strontium (but not for manganese, copper, zinc, arsenic or lead) and to the concentrations of particle-associated metals of surface waters for strontium and lead. Manganese and arsenic were the metals with a negative effect on the biomasses of biofilm diatoms and cyanobacteria. Overall, we observed element-specific accumulation patterns in biofilms with selected elements being related to the water column while others were probably subject to biofilm-internal processes.

Biofilms as bio-indicator for polluted waters? Total reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis of biofilms of the Tisza river (Hungary).

The aim of this work was to investigate the heavy metal accumulation by natural biofilms living in the catchment area of the Tisza river in Hungary, as well as in biofilms cultivated in vitro. Laboratory tests have demonstrated that metals can be adsorbed on biofilms, depending on their concentration and on the availability of free sorptive places. Biofilms were cultivated in vitro in natural freshwater from the Saale river, Germany. After reaching the plateau phase, Cu was added to reach a concentration of 100 micro g/L. An increase of its mass fraction in the biofilm was observed, which caused the decrease of the concentration in the water phase. Unfortunately, the reactor wall was also found to act as adsorbent for Cu. More detailed results of our in vitro experiments will be published in a forthcoming paper. Naturally grown biofilm samples from exposed as well as background places at the Hungarian rivers Szamos and Tisza were collected in 2000 and 2002 after the cyanide spill, and analysed using total reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis (TXRF). Metal mass fraction differences as high as two orders of magnitude were found between polluted and unpolluted (background) sampling points. Extremely high concentration values, e.g. 5600 microg/g Zn in biofilm, were found at highly polluted sampling points. This means an enrichment factor of ca. 10,000 compared to the water phase.

Determination of trace elements in planktonic microcrustaceans using total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF): first results from two Chilean lakes.

First results are described from the application of a recently developed dry method for determination of elements in single specimens of freshwater microcrustaceans, using total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF). This method is a powerful, non-destructive technique for quantifying the trace element content of minute biological samples with a dry weight of 3-50 microg. Three different freshwater microcrustaceans were sampled, from the natural, uncontaminated Lake Laja and from the artificial Rapel reservoir which is slightly contaminated by drainage water from a copper mine. Single specimens of Daphnia pulex, Bosmina chilensis, and Ceriodaphnia dubia were prepared using a modification of the dry method and measured by TXRF. The results showed that both As, Mn, Fe, Ni, Zn, and Cu content and the bioaccumulation of these metals were usually significantly different between the microcrustaceans from the two lakes. The largest difference was found for Cu which was eight times more concentrated in the two microcrustaceans from Rapel reservoir than it was in D. pulex from Lake Laja.