Process-based modeling for ecosystem service provisioning: Non-linear responses to restoration efforts in a quarry lake under climate change.

Healthy freshwater ecosystems can provide vital ecosystem services (ESs), and this capacity may be hampered due to water quality deterioration and climate change. In the currently available ES modeling tools, ecosystem processes are either absent or oversimplified, hindering the evaluation of impacts of restoration measures on ES provisioning. In this study, we propose an ES modeling tool that integrates lake physics, ecology and service provisioning into a holistic modeling framework. We applied this model to a Dutch quarry lake, to evaluate how nine ESs respond to technological-based (phosphorus (P) reduction) and nature-based measures (wetland restoration). As climate change might be affecting the future effectiveness of restoration efforts, we also studied the climate change impacts on the outcome of restoration measures and provisioning of ESs, using climate scenarios for the Netherlands in 2050. Our results indicate that both phosphorus reduction and wetland restoration mitigated eutrophication symptoms, resulting in increased oxygen concentrations and water transparency, and decreased phytoplankton biomass. Delivery of most ESs was improved, including swimming, P retention, and macrophyte habitat, whereas the ES provisioning that required a more productive system was impaired (sport fishing and bird watching). However, our modeling results suggested hampered effectiveness of restoration measures upon exposure to future climate conditions, which may require intensification of restoration efforts in the future to meet restoration targets. Importantly, ESs provisioning showed non-linear responses to increasing intensity of restoration measures, indicating that effectiveness of restoration measures does not necessarily increase proportionally. In conclusion, the ecosystem service modeling framework proposed in this study, provides a holistic evaluation of lake restoration measures on ecosystem services provisioning, and can contribute to development of climate-robust management strategies.

New is not always better: Toxicity of novel copper based algaecides to Daphnia magna.

In this study, the effects of traditional copper (CuSO4.5H2O) and novel copper algaecides (Captain XTR, SeClear and Lake Guard Blue) were tested on Daphnia magna under acute (48 h) and chronic (21 d) exposure scenarios. The EC50 values calculated in the acute tests were between 0.5 and 0.6 mg Cu L-1 for all four compounds. Lake Guard Blue and CuSO4.5 H2O were more toxic than SeClear and Captain XTR. During the chronic test, the effects of SeClear (EC50: 0.274 mg Cu L-1) on reproduction and body length were larger than the effects of the other three copper-based algaecides (EC50: 0.436 mg Cu L-1 for CuSO4.5 H2O, 0.498 mg Cu L-1 for Captain XTR, and 0.295 mg Cu L-1 for Lake Guard Blue). Captain XTR had the strongest negative effect on body weight, whereas body weight was affected the least by CuSO4.5 H2O. The four copper compounds affected the age at first brood significantly, which was delayed by 1.8, 2.0, 2.3 and 3.2 days for Captain XTR, CuSO4.5H2O, Lake Guard Blue and SeClear, respectively. Intrinsic rate of population increase was lowest (0.145 d-1) at the highest dosage in the SeClear treatments. Chemical equilibrium modelling revealed that most copper was chelated with EDTA present in the artificial medium used. These combined results indicate that the toxicity of the novel copper algaecide SeClear to D. magna is greater than that of traditional copper algaecide. Prior to each Cu application, tests on the effects of Cu compounds on the organisms being targeted should be done, taking into consideration the water chemistry.

Combining lanthanum-modified bentonite (LMB) and submerged macrophytes alleviates water quality deterioration in the presence of omni-benthivorous fish.

Bioturbation by omni-benthivorous fish often causes sediment resuspension and internal nutrient loading, which boosts phytoplankton growth and may lead to a shift of clear water lakes to a turbid state. Removal of large-sized omni-benthivorous individuals is a lake restoration measure that may revert lakes from a turbid to a clear water state, yet the rapid reproduction of small omni-benthivorous fish in tropical and subtropical shallow lakes may impede such lake recovery. In lake restoration, also a combination of lanthanum-modified bentonite (LMB) and planting submerged macrophytes has been used that may synergistically improve lake water quality. How the combined effect works in the presence of small omni-benthivorous fish has not been studied, which is needed given the high abundances of small omni-benthivorous fish in (sub)tropical lakes. We conducted a two-by-two factorial mesocosm experiment with and without the submerged macrophytes Vallisneria natans and with and without LMB, all in the presence of small crucian carp. At the end of the experiment, turbidity in the V. natans, LMB and combined LMB + V. natans treatments had decreased by 0.8%, 30.3% and 30.9%, respectively, compared with the controls. In addition, the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) release from the sediment in the combined LMB + V. natans treatments had decreased substantially, by 97.4% and 94.3%, respectively, compared with the control. These N and P fluxes were also significantly lower in the combined LMB + V. natans treatments than in the sole LMB treatment (88.1% and 82.3%) or the V. natans treatment (93.2% and 90.3%). Cyanobacteria in the overlying water in the combined LMB + V. natans treatments significantly decreased by 84.1%, 63.5% and 37.0%, respectively, compared with the control and the sole LMB and V. natans treatments. Our results show that LMB and submerged macrophytes complement each other in effectively improving the water quality, even in the presence of small omni-benthivorous fish.

Effects of temperature, genetic variation and species competition on the sensitivity of algae populations to the antibiotic enrofloxacin.

Primary producers are amongst the most sensitive organisms to antibiotic pollution in aquatic ecosystems. To date, there is little information on how different environmental conditions may affect their sensitivity to antibiotics. In this study we assessed how temperature, genetic variation and species competition may affect the sensitivity of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa and the green-algae Scenedesmus obliquus to the antibiotic enrofloxacin. First, we performed single-species tests to assess the toxicity of enrofloxacin under different temperature conditions (20°C and 30°C) and to assess the sensitivity of different species strains using a standard temperature (20°C). Next, we investigated how enrofloxacin contamination may affect the competition between M. aeruginosa and S. obliquus. A competition experiment was performed following a full factorial design with different competition treatments, defined as density ratios (i.e. initial bio-volume of 25/75%, 10/90% and 1/99% of S. obliquus/M. aeruginosa, respectively), one 100% S. obliquus treatment and one 100% M. aeruginosa treatment, and four different enrofloxacin concentrations (i.e. control, 0.01, 0.05 and 0.10mg/L). Growth inhibition based on cell number, bio-volume, chlorophyll-a concentration as well as photosynthetic activity were used as evaluation endpoints in the single-species tests, while growth inhibition based on measured chlorophyll-a was primarily used in the competition experiment. M. aeruginosa photosynthetic activity was found to be the most sensitive endpoint to enrofloxacin (EC50-72h =0.02mg/L), followed by growth inhibition based on cell number. S. obliquus was found to be slightly more sensitive at 20°C than at 30°C (EC50-72h cell number growth inhibition of 38 and 41mg/L, respectively), whereas an opposite trend was observed for M. aeruginosa (0.047 and 0.037mg/L, respectively). Differences in EC50-72h values between algal strains of the same species were within a factor of two. The competition experiment showed that M. aeruginosa growth can be significantly reduced in the presence of S. obliquus at a density ratio of 75/25% M. aeruginosa/S. obliquus, showing a higher susceptibility to enrofloxacin than in the single-species test. The results of this study confirm the high sensitivity of cyanobacteria to antibiotics and show that temperature and inter-strain genetic variation may have a limited influence on their response to them. The results of the competition experiment suggest that the structure of primary producer communities can be affected, at least temporarily, at antibiotic concentrations close to those that have been measured in the environment.

Recovery rates reflect distance to a tipping point in a living system.

Tipping points, at which complex systems can shift abruptly from one state to another, are notoriously difficult to predict. Theory proposes that early warning signals may be based on the phenomenon that recovery rates from small perturbations should tend to zero when approaching a tipping point; however, evidence that this happens in living systems is lacking. Here we test such 'critical slowing down' using a microcosm in which photo-inhibition drives a cyanobacterial population to a classical tipping point when a critical light level is exceeded. We show that over a large range of conditions, recovery from small perturbations becomes slower as the system comes closer to the critical point. In addition, autocorrelation in the subtle fluctuations of the system's state rose towards the tipping point, supporting the idea that this metric can be used as an indirect indicator of slowing down. Although stochasticity prohibits prediction of the timing of critical transitions, our results suggest that indicators of slowing down may be used to rank complex systems on a broad scale from resilient to fragile.

Assessment of the Effects of Light Availability on Growth and Competition Between Strains of Planktothrix agardhii and Microcystis aeruginosa.

In this study, we tested the hypothesis that Planktothrix agardhii strains isolated from a tropical water body were better competitors for light than Microcystis aeruginosa strains. These cyanobacteria are common in eutrophic systems, where light is one of the main drivers of phytoplankton, and Planktothrix is considered more shade-adapted and Microcystis more high-light tolerant. First, the effect of light intensities on growth was studied in batch cultures. Next, the minimum requirement of light (I*) and the effect of light limitation on the outcome of competition was investigated in chemostats. All strains showed similar growth at 10 µmol photons m(-2) s(-1), demonstrating the ability of the two species to grow in low light. The optimum light intensity was lower for P. agardhii, but at the highest light intensity, Microcystis strains reached higher biovolume, confirming that P. agardhii has higher sensitivity to high light. Nonetheless, P. agardhii grew in light intensities considered high (500 µmol photons m(-2) s(-1)) for this species. M. aeruginosa showed a higher carrying capacity in light-limited condition, but I* was similar between all the strains. Under light competition, Microcystis strains displaced P. agardhii and dominated. In two cases, there was competitive exclusion and in the other two P. agardhii managed to remain in the system with a low biovolume (≈15%). Our findings not only show that strains of P. agardhii can grow under higher light intensities than generally assumed but also that strains of M. aeruginosa are better competitors for light than supposed. These results help to understand the co-occurrence of these species in tropical environments and the dominance of M. aeruginosa even in low-light conditions.

Toxicity Overrides Morphology on Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii Grazing Resistance to the Calanoid Copepod Eudiaptomus gracilis.

Toxicity and morphology may function as defense mechanisms of bloom-forming cyanobacteria against zooplankton grazing. Yet, the relative importance of each of these factors and their plasticity remains poorly known. We tested the effects of chemical and morphological traits of the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii on the feeding response of the selective feeder Eudiaptomus gracilis (Calanoida, Copepoda), using a saxitoxin-producing strain (STX+) and a non-saxitoxin (STX-)-producing strain as food. From these two chemotypes, we established cultures of three different morphotypes that differed in filament length (short, medium, and long) by incubating the strains at 17, 25, and 32 °C. We hypothesized that the inhibitory effects of saxitoxins determine the avoidance of C. raciborskii, and that morphology would only become relevant in the absence of saxitoxins. Temperature affected two traits: higher temperature resulted in significantly shorter filaments in both strains and led to much higher toxin contents in the STX+ strain (1.7 µg eq STX L(-1) at 17 °C, 7.9 µg eq STX L(-1) at 25 °C, and 25.1 µg eq STX L(-1) at 32 °C). Copepods strongly reduced the ingestion of the STX+ strain in comparison with STX- cultures, regardless of filament length. Conversely, consumption of shorter filaments was significantly higher in the STX- strain. The great plasticity of morphological and chemical traits of C. raciborskii and their resultant contrasting effects on the feeding behavior of zooplankton might explain the success of this cyanobacterium in a variety of aquatic environments.

Pharmaceuticals May Disrupt Natural Chemical Information Flows and Species Interactions in Aquatic Systems: Ideas and Perspectives on a Hidden Global Change.

Pharmaceuticals consumption by humans and animals is increasing substantially, leading to unprecedented levels of these compounds in aquatic environments worldwide. Recent findings that concentrations reach levels that can directly have negative effects on organisms are important per se, but also sound an alarm for other potentially more pervasive effects that arise from the interconnected nature of ecological communities. Aquatic organisms use chemical cues to navigate numerous challenges, including the location of mates and food, and the avoidance of natural enemies. Low concentrations of pharmaceuticals can disrupt this "smellscape" of information leading to maladaptive responses. Furthermore, direct effects of pharmaceuticals on the traits and abundance of one species can cascade through a community, indirectly affecting other species. We review mechanisms by which pharmaceuticals in surface waters can disrupt natural chemical information flows and species interactions. Pharmaceuticals form a new class of chemical threats, which could have far-reaching implications for ecosystem functioning and conservation management.

A Collaborative Evaluation of LC-MS/MS Based Methods for BMAA Analysis: Soluble Bound BMAA Found to Be an Important Fraction.

Exposure to ß-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) might be linked to the incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Analytical chemistry plays a crucial role in determining human BMAA exposure and the associated health risk, but the performance of various analytical methods currently employed is rarely compared. A CYANOCOST initiated workshop was organized aimed at training scientists in BMAA analysis, creating mutual understanding and paving the way towards interlaboratory comparison exercises. During this workshop, we tested different methods (extraction followed by derivatization and liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis, or directly followed by LC-MS/MS analysis) for trueness and intermediate precision. We adapted three workup methods for the underivatized analysis of animal, brain and cyanobacterial samples. Based on recovery of the internal standard D3BMAA, the underivatized methods were accurate (mean recovery 80%) and precise (mean relative standard deviation 10%), except for the cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya. However, total BMAA concentrations in the positive controls (cycad seeds) showed higher variation (relative standard deviation 21%-32%), implying that D3BMAA was not a good indicator for the release of BMAA from bound forms. Significant losses occurred during workup for the derivatized method, resulting in low recovery (<10%). Most BMAA was found in a trichloroacetic acid soluble, bound form and we recommend including this fraction during analysis.

Temperature Effect on Exploitation and Interference Competition among Microcystis aeruginosa, Planktothrix agardhii and, Cyclotella meneghiniana.

We studied the effect of temperature (18 and 30°C) on growth and on the exploitation and interference competition of three species: Microcystis aeruginosa (MIJAC), Planktothrix agardhii (PAT), and Cyclotella meneghiniana (CCAP). Coculturing the organisms in batch systems allowed for the examination of both competitive interactions, while the interference competition was studied in cross-cultures. The experiments were done during 10-12 days, and samples were taken for chlorophyll-a analysis, using PHYTO-PAM. The temperature did not influence exploitation competition between MIJAC and other competitors and it was the best competitor in both temperatures. PAT presented higher growth rates than CCAP in competition at 18 and 30°C. The temperature influenced the interference competition. The growth of MIJAC was favored in strains exudates at 30°C, while CCAP was favored at 18°C, revealing that the optimum growth temperature was important to establish the competitive superiority. Therefore, we can propose two hypotheses: (i) different temperatures may results in production of distinct compounds that influence the competition among phytoplankton species and (ii) the target species may have different vulnerability to these compounds depending on the temperature. At last, we suggest that both the sensitivity and the physiological status of competing species can determine their lasting coexistence.

Nanoplastic affects growth of S. obliquus and reproduction of D. magna.

The amount of nano- and microplastic in the aquatic environment rises due to the industrial production of plastic and the degradation of plastic into smaller particles. Concerns have been raised about their incorporation into food webs. Little is known about the fate and effects of nanoplastic, especially for the freshwater environment. In this study, effects of nano-polystyrene (nano-PS) on the growth and photosynthesis of the green alga Scenedesmus obliquus and the growth, mortality, neonate production, and malformations of the zooplankter Daphnia magna were assessed. Nano-PS reduced population growth and reduced chlorophyll concentrations in the algae. Exposed Daphnia showed a reduced body size and severe alterations in reproduction. Numbers and body size of neonates were lower, while the number of neonate malformations among neonates rose to 68% of the individuals. These effects of nano-PS were observed between 0.22 and 103 mg nano-PS/L. Malformations occurred from 30 mg of nano-PS/L onward. Such plastic concentrations are much higher than presently reported for marine waters as well as freshwater, but may eventually occur in sediment pore waters. As far as we know, these results are the first to show that direct life history shifts in algae and Daphnia populations may occur as a result of exposure to nanoplastic.

Combined measures in lake restoration - A powerful approach as exemplified from Lake Groote Melanen (the Netherlands).

Controlling lake eutrophication is a challenge. A case-specific diagnostics driven approach is recommended that will guide to a suite of measures most promising in restoration of eutrophic lakes as exemplified by the case of the shallow lake Groote Melanen, The Netherlands. A lake system analysis identified external and internal nutrient load as main reasons for poor water quality and reoccurring cyanobacterial blooms in the lake. Based on this analysis, a package of restoration measures was implemented between January 2015 and May 2016. These measures included fish removal, dredging, capping of peat rich sediment with sand and an active barrier (lanthanum-modified bentonite), diversion of two inlet streams, reconstruction of banks, and planting macrophytes. Dredging and sand capping caused temporarily elevated turbidity and suspended solids concentrations, while addition of the lanthanum-modified clay caused a temporary exceedance of the Dutch La standard for freshwaters. Diversion of inflow streams caused 35 % less water inflow and larger water level fluctuations, but the lake remained water transporting with strongly improved water quality as was revealed by comparing five years pre-intervention water quality data with five years' post-intervention data. Total phosphorus concentration in the water column was reduced by 93 % from 0.47 mg P l-1 before the intervention to 0.03 mg P l-1 after the intervention, total nitrogen by 66 % from 1.27 to 0.21 mg N l-1, total chlorophyll-a by 75 % from 68 to 16 µg l-1, cyanobacteria chlorophyll-a by 88 % from 32 to 4 µg l-1. Turbidity had declined by 58 % from 23.5 FTU to on average 9.9 FTU. No cyanobacteria blooms were recorded over the entire post-intervention monitoring period (2016-2021). Submerged macrophytes increased from complete absence before intervention to around 10 %-15 % coverage after intervention. Repeated fish removal lowered the fish stock to below 100 kg ha-1 with 12 % of bream and carp remaining. Hence, the package of cohesive measures that was based on a thorough diagnosis resulted in rapidly, strongly and enduringly improved water quality. This case provides evidence for the power of combining measures in restoring eutrophic lakes.

Unlocking Biological Activity and Metabolomics Insights: Primary Screening of Cyanobacterial Biomass from a Tropical Reservoir.

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms can pose risks to ecosystems and human health worldwide due to their capacity to produce natural toxins. The potential dangers associated with numerous metabolites produced by cyanobacteria remain unknown. Only select classes of cyanopeptides have been extensively studied with the aim of yielding substantial evidence regarding their toxicity, resulting in their inclusion in risk management and water quality regulations. Information about exposure concentrations, co-occurrence, and toxic impacts of several cyanopeptides remains largely unexplored. We used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomic methods associated with chemometric tools (NP Analyst and Data Fusion-based Discovery), as well as an acute toxicity essay, in an innovative approach to evaluate the association of spectral signatures and biological activity from natural cyanobacterial biomass collected in a eutrophic reservoir in southeastern Brazil. Four classes of cyanopeptides were revealed through metabolomics: microcystins, microginins, aeruginosins, and cyanopeptolins. The bioinformatics tools showed high bioactivity correlation scores for compounds of the cyanopeptolin class (0.54), in addition to microcystins (0.54-0.58). These results emphasize the pressing need for a comprehensive evaluation of the (eco)toxicological risks associated with different cyanopeptides, considering their potential for exposure. Our study also demonstrated that the combined use of LC-MS/MS-based metabolomics and chemometric techniques for ecotoxicological research can offer a time-efficient strategy for mapping compounds with potential toxicological risk. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;00:1-10. © 2024 SETAC.

Understanding the differential impacts of two antidepressants on locomotion of freshwater snails (Lymnaea stagnalis).

There is growing evidence of negative impacts of antidepressants on behavior of aquatic non-target organisms. Accurate environmental risk assessment requires an understanding of whether antidepressants with similar modes of action have consistent negative impacts. Here, we tested the effect of acute exposure to two antidepressants, fluoxetine and venlafaxine (0-50 µg/L), on the behavior of non-target organism, i.e., freshwater pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis. As compounds interact with chemical cues in the aquatic ecosystems, we also tested whether the effects altered in the presence of bile extract containing 5α-cyprinol sulfate (5α-CPS), a characterized kairomone of a natural predator, common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Behavior was studied using automated tracking and analysis of various locomotion parameters of L. stagnalis. Our results suggest that there are differences in the effects on locomotion upon exposure to venlafaxine and fluoxetine. We found strong evidence for a non-monotonic dose response on venlafaxine exposure, whereas fluoxetine only showed weak evidence of altered locomotion for a specific concentration. Combined exposure to compounds and 5α-CPS reduced the intensity of effects observed in the absence of 5α-CPS, possibly due to reduced bioavailability of the compounds. The results highlight the need for acknowledging different mechanisms of action among antidepressants while investigating their environmental risks. In addition, our results underline the importance of reporting non-significant effects and acknowledging individual variation in behavior for environmental risk assessment.

Cyanopeptides occurrence and diversity in a Brazilian tropical reservoir: Exploring relationships with water quality.

Microcystins (MCs) are a class of toxic secondary metabolites produced by some cyanobacteria strains that endanger aquatic and terrestrial organisms in various freshwater systems. Although patterns in MC occurrence are being recognized, divergences in the global data still hamper our ability to predict the toxicity of cyanobacterial blooms. This study aimed (i) to determine the dynamics of MCs and other cyanopeptides in a tropical reservoir, (ii) to investigate the correlation between peptides and potential cyanotoxin producers (iii) identifying the possible abiotic factors that influence the peptides. We analyzed, monthly, eight MC variants (MC-RR, -LA, -LF, -LR, -LW, -YR, [D-Asp3]-RR and [D-Asp3]-LR) and other peptides in 47 water samples collected monthly, all season long, from two sampling sites in a tropical eutrophic freshwater reservoir, in southeastern Brazil. The cyanopeptides were assessed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The biomass of potential cyanobacterial producers and water quality variables were measured. MCs were detected in both sampling sites year-round; the total MC concentration varied from 0.21 to 4.04 µg L-1, and three MC variants were identified and quantified (MC-RR, [D-Asp3]-RR, -LR). Additionally, we identified 28 compounds belonging to three other cyanopeptide classes: aeruginosin, microginin, and cyanopeptolin. As potential MC producers, Microcystis spp. and Dolichospermum circinalis were dominant during the study, representing up to 75% of the total phytoplankton. Correlational and redundancy analysis suggested positive effects of dissolved oxygen, nitrate, and total phosphorus on MC and microginins concentration, while water temperature appeared to favor aeruginosins. A comparison between our results and historical data showed a reduction in total phosphorus and cyanobacteria, suggesting increased water quality in the reservoir. However, the current MC concentrations indicate a rise in cyanobacterial toxicity over the last eight years. Moreover, our study underscores the pressing need to explore cyanopeptides other than MCs in tropical aquatic systems.

Fe(II)Cl2 amendment suppresses pond methane emissions by stimulating iron-dependent anaerobic oxidation of methane.

Aquatic ecosystems are large contributors to global methane (CH4) emissions. Eutrophication significantly enhances CH4-production as it stimulates methanogenesis. Mitigation measures aimed at reducing eutrophication, such as the addition of metal salts to immobilize phosphate (PO43-), are now common practice. However, the effects of such remedies on methanogenic and methanotrophic communities-and therefore on CH4-cycling-remain largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that Fe(II)Cl2 addition, used as PO43- binder, differentially affected microbial CH4 cycling-processes in field experiments and batch incubations. In the field experiments, carried out in enclosures in a eutrophic pond, Fe(II)Cl2 application lowered in-situ CH4 emissions by lowering net CH4-production, while sediment aerobic CH4-oxidation rates-as found in batch incubations of sediment from the enclosures-did not differ from control. In Fe(II)Cl2-treated sediments, a decrease in net CH4-production rates could be attributed to the stimulation of iron-dependent anaerobic CH4-oxidation (Fe-AOM). In batch incubations, anaerobic CH4-oxidation and Fe(II)-production started immediately after CH4 addition, indicating Fe-AOM, likely enabled by favorable indigenous iron cycling conditions and the present methanotroph community in the pond sediment. 16S rRNA sequencing data confirmed the presence of anaerobic CH4-oxidizing archaea and both iron-reducing and iron-oxidizing bacteria in the tested sediments. Thus, besides combatting eutrophication, Fe(II)Cl2 application can mitigate CH4 emissions by reducing microbial net CH4-production and stimulating Fe-AOM.

Effect of an antidepressant on aquatic ecosystems in the presence of microplastics: A mesocosm study.

Emerging pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals and microplastics have become a pressing concern due to their widespread presence and potential impacts on ecological systems. To assess the ecosystem-level effects of these pollutants within a multi-stressor context, we simulated real-world conditions by exposing a near-natural multi-trophic aquatic food web to a gradient of environmentally relevant concentrations of fluoxetine and microplastics in large mesocosms over a period of more than three months. We measured the biomass and abundance of different trophic groups, as well as ecological functions such as nutrient availability and decomposition rate. To explore the mechanisms underlying potential community and ecosystem-level effects, we also performed behavioral assays focusing on locomotion parameters as a response variable in three species: Daphnia magna (zooplankton prey), Chaoborus flavicans larvae (invertebrate pelagic predator of zooplankton) and Asellus aquaticus (benthic macroinvertebrate), using water from the mesocosms. Our mesocosm results demonstrate that presence of microplastics governs the response in phytoplankton biomass, with a weak non-monotonic dose-response relationship due to the interaction between microplastics and fluoxetine. However, exposure to fluoxetine evoked a strong non-monotonic dose-response in zooplankton abundance and microbial decomposition rate of plant material. In the behavioral assays, the locomotion of zooplankton prey D. magna showed a similar non-monotonic response primarily induced by fluoxetine. Its predator C. flavicans, however, showed a significant non-monotonic response governed by both microplastics and fluoxetine. The behavior of the decomposer A. aquaticus significantly decreased at higher fluoxetine concentrations, potentially leading to reduced decomposition rates near the sediment. Our study demonstrates that effects observed upon short-term exposure result in more pronounced ecosystem-level effects following chronic exposure.

Light and phosphate competition between Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii and Microcystis aeruginosa is strain dependent.

The hypothesis that outcomes of phosphorus and light competition between Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii and Microcystis aeruginosa are strain dependent was tested experimentally. Critical requirements of phosphorus (P*) and of light (I*) of two strains of each species were determined through monoculture experiments, which indicated a trade-off between species and also between Microcystis strains. Competition experiments between species were performed using the weakest predicted competitors (with the highest values of P* and of I*) and with the strongest predicted competitors (with the lowest values of P* and of I*). Under light limitation, competition between the weakest competitors led C. raciborskii to dominate. Between the strongest competitors, the opposite was observed, M. aeruginosa displaced C. raciborskii, but both strains co-existed in equilibrium. Under phosphate limitation, competition between the weakest competitors led C. raciborskii to exclude M. aeruginosa, and between the strongest competitors, the opposite was observed, M. aeruginosa displaced C. raciborskii, but the system did not reach an equilibrium and both strains were washed out. Hence, outcomes of the competition depended on the pair of competing strains and not only on species or on type of limitation. We concluded that existence of different trade-offs among strains and between species underlie our results showing that C. raciborskii can either dominate or be displaced by M. aeruginosa when exposed to different conditions of light or phosphate limitation.

Occurrence of the microcystins MC-LW and MC-LF in Dutch surface waters and their contribution to total microcystin toxicity.

Microcystins (MCs) are the most frequently found cyanobacterial toxins in freshwater systems. Many MC variants have been identified and variants differ in their toxicity. Recent studies showed that the variants MC-LW and MC-LF might be more toxic than MC-LR, the variant that is most abundant and mostly used for risk assessments. As little is known about the presence of these two variants in The Netherlands, we determined their occurrence by analyzing 88 water samples and 10 scum samples for eight MC variants ((dm-7-)MC-RR, MC-YR, (dm-7-)MC-LR, MC-LY, MC-LW and MC-LF) by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry detection. All analyzed MC variants were detected, and MC-LW and/or MC-LF were present in 32% of the MC containing water samples. When MC-LW and MC-LF were present, they contributed to nearly 10% of the total MC concentrations, but due to their suspected high toxicity, their average contribution to the total MC toxicity was estimated to be at least 45%. Given the frequent occurrence and possible high toxicity of MC-LW and MC-LF, it seems better to base health risk assessments on the toxicity contributions of different MC variants than on MC-LR concentrations alone.