Invertebrates as indicators for chemical stress in sewage-influenced stream systems: Toxic and endocrine effects in gammarids and reactions at the community level in two tributaries of Lake Constance, Schussen and Argen
“…In contrast, the relation between water and sediment contamination and the reproduction of G. fossarum is less clear. On the one hand, Schneider et al [53] observed an increase in the fecundity index of Gammarus pulex with increasing wastewater content and attributed this to the presence of EDCs, especially to estrogenic substances, which is in line with the present findings within restored river sections in the active biomonitoring; on the other hand, various studies report on decreasing fecundity indices downstream of WWTP effluents or on shifts in sex ratio in favor of females induced by estrogens but not on elevated fecundity of gammarids [50,53,54]. Thus, a reliable proof of an increased fecundity of G. fossarum due to estrogen exposure is not yet available and correlation analyses in the present study revealed decreasing fecundity indices with increasing estrogenic or dioxin-like activity, which is likely due to the correlation between estrogenic and dioxin-like activity in water samples ( Table 2, Additional file 5: Figure S4g, i).…”
Section: Niddasupporting
confidence: 89%
“…The genus Gammarus, which includes the freshwater amphipod Gammarus fossarum, reacts sensitively to pollutants such as pesticides (e.g., terbutryn, fenoxycarb) or micropollutants from wastewater (e.g., 17α-ethinylestradiol) [49][50][51][52][53][54][55]. Furthermore, G. fossarum has already been used in field studies to assess the conditions of rivers and environmental samples [56][57][58][59][60].…”
Section: Test Organismsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…These extracts were subsequently analyzed in the microtox assay [49,65]. The inhibitions of the luminescence are expressed as EC 50 referring to mg sediment-equivalents. An EC 50 threshold value of 30 mg sediment-equivalents was defined for non-toxic sediment samples, i.e., samples that reached less than 20% inhibition of luminescence.…”
Section: In Vitro Analyses Of Sediment Samplesmentioning
Background: To date, only 8.2% of German surface waters achieve a good ecological status according to the European Water Framework Directive. This is primarily attributed to structural deficits, intensive land use, and chemical contaminations of water bodies. In this context, hydromorphological restoration measures are implemented with the aim to increase habitat and species diversity and thus improve the ecological status of water bodies. Nevertheless, existing studies show that restorations promote the reintroduction of individual species, but only in exceptional cases an improvement in the ecological status is achieved. Therefore, we examined the impact of the prevailing chemical contamination on the restoration success in the catchment of the river Nidda in Hessen (Germany) by comparing restored river sections at the rivers Nidda and Horloff with unrestored sections upstream (space-for-time-substitution) and a transect downstream the restoration measures. For this purpose, we conducted active biomonitoring campaigns with Potamopyrgus antipodarum and Gammarus fossarum and analyzed water and sediment samples with effect-based in vitro bioassays. Results: At the river Horloff, mortality of P. antipodarum and toxicity in water samples measured via the microtox assay were highest within the restoration. At the river Nidda, the reproduction of snails and gammarids significantly increased within the restorations, and reproduction of snails correlated positively and significantly with estrogenic activities. The microtox assay also exhibited the highest toxicities in water and sediment samples from the restorations and dioxin-like as well as estrogenic activities significantly increased compared to the unrestored reference site. On the basis of these results, the prevailing chemical contamination has negatively affected snails and gammarids in the active biomonitoring campaigns and consequently is likely to have also a negative impact on the local invertebrate community and thus endangers the restoration success.
Conclusion:Hydromorphological restorations as a stand-alone measure are insufficient to improve the ecological status of a water body as long as the water and sediment quality remain deficient. Therefore, it is necessary to improve water and sediment quality in parallel with hydromorphological restoration measures to achieve the objectives of the EU-WFD. which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.
“…In contrast, the relation between water and sediment contamination and the reproduction of G. fossarum is less clear. On the one hand, Schneider et al [53] observed an increase in the fecundity index of Gammarus pulex with increasing wastewater content and attributed this to the presence of EDCs, especially to estrogenic substances, which is in line with the present findings within restored river sections in the active biomonitoring; on the other hand, various studies report on decreasing fecundity indices downstream of WWTP effluents or on shifts in sex ratio in favor of females induced by estrogens but not on elevated fecundity of gammarids [50,53,54]. Thus, a reliable proof of an increased fecundity of G. fossarum due to estrogen exposure is not yet available and correlation analyses in the present study revealed decreasing fecundity indices with increasing estrogenic or dioxin-like activity, which is likely due to the correlation between estrogenic and dioxin-like activity in water samples ( Table 2, Additional file 5: Figure S4g, i).…”
Section: Niddasupporting
confidence: 89%
“…The genus Gammarus, which includes the freshwater amphipod Gammarus fossarum, reacts sensitively to pollutants such as pesticides (e.g., terbutryn, fenoxycarb) or micropollutants from wastewater (e.g., 17α-ethinylestradiol) [49][50][51][52][53][54][55]. Furthermore, G. fossarum has already been used in field studies to assess the conditions of rivers and environmental samples [56][57][58][59][60].…”
Section: Test Organismsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…These extracts were subsequently analyzed in the microtox assay [49,65]. The inhibitions of the luminescence are expressed as EC 50 referring to mg sediment-equivalents. An EC 50 threshold value of 30 mg sediment-equivalents was defined for non-toxic sediment samples, i.e., samples that reached less than 20% inhibition of luminescence.…”
Section: In Vitro Analyses Of Sediment Samplesmentioning
Background: To date, only 8.2% of German surface waters achieve a good ecological status according to the European Water Framework Directive. This is primarily attributed to structural deficits, intensive land use, and chemical contaminations of water bodies. In this context, hydromorphological restoration measures are implemented with the aim to increase habitat and species diversity and thus improve the ecological status of water bodies. Nevertheless, existing studies show that restorations promote the reintroduction of individual species, but only in exceptional cases an improvement in the ecological status is achieved. Therefore, we examined the impact of the prevailing chemical contamination on the restoration success in the catchment of the river Nidda in Hessen (Germany) by comparing restored river sections at the rivers Nidda and Horloff with unrestored sections upstream (space-for-time-substitution) and a transect downstream the restoration measures. For this purpose, we conducted active biomonitoring campaigns with Potamopyrgus antipodarum and Gammarus fossarum and analyzed water and sediment samples with effect-based in vitro bioassays. Results: At the river Horloff, mortality of P. antipodarum and toxicity in water samples measured via the microtox assay were highest within the restoration. At the river Nidda, the reproduction of snails and gammarids significantly increased within the restorations, and reproduction of snails correlated positively and significantly with estrogenic activities. The microtox assay also exhibited the highest toxicities in water and sediment samples from the restorations and dioxin-like as well as estrogenic activities significantly increased compared to the unrestored reference site. On the basis of these results, the prevailing chemical contamination has negatively affected snails and gammarids in the active biomonitoring campaigns and consequently is likely to have also a negative impact on the local invertebrate community and thus endangers the restoration success.
Conclusion:Hydromorphological restorations as a stand-alone measure are insufficient to improve the ecological status of a water body as long as the water and sediment quality remain deficient. Therefore, it is necessary to improve water and sediment quality in parallel with hydromorphological restoration measures to achieve the objectives of the EU-WFD. which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.
“…For example, the species complexes Gammarus fossarum, Gammarus pulex, and Gammarus roeseli, which are found in various European regions, are proving to be highly suited to the study of toxic effects in the laboratory setting (Adam et al 2009;Besse et al 2013;Böttger et al 2012Böttger et al , 2013Bundschuh et al 2013;Feckler et al 2012;Lacaze et al 2011;Peschke et al 2014;Westram et al 2013).…”
Section: Responsible Editor: Thomas Braunbeckmentioning
The Italian region Latium is characterized by extensive quaternary volcanic systems that contribute greatly to arsenic (As) contamination of freshwater, including drinking water supplies. However, knowledge of the possible toxic effects in these aquatic environments is, despite being highly relevant to public health, still limited. In this paper, we approach this issue using Gammarus elvirae, an amphipod species that inhabits rivers and streams in central Italy, including Latium. We explored the possibility of using G. elvirae in the toxicology of freshwater by addressing the most relevant issues. First, we tested the usefulness of hemocytes from G. elvirae in determining non-specific DNA damage by means of the Comet assay after exposure (24 h and 7 days) to different river water samples in Latium; second, we provided an interpretative overview of the usefulness of hepatopancreatic epithelial cells of G. elvirae as a means of assessing toxicity after long-term exposure to As and other pollutants; third, the LC (50-240 h) value for G. elvirae was estimated for arsenate, which is usually the dominant arsenic species in surface waters. Our study sheds light on G. elvirae at different levels, providing a background for future toxicological research of freshwater.
“…These anthropogenic chemicals can induce growth inhibition, genotoxicity, and teratogenicity in microalgae (Debenest et al, 2008(Debenest et al, , 2010Sjollema et al, 2014). Moreover, genotoxicity and/or endocrine alterations have been reported in zooplanktonic organisms, invertebrates, and fishes (Hanazato, 2001;Cavas, 2011;Peschke et al, 2014). Pesticides can also alter biological interactions between organisms at individual, population, and community level ( Hanazato, 2001;Debenest et al, 2009;Gonzalez-Rey et al, 2015).…”
Freshwater microalgae are primary producers and cosmopolitan species subjected to the effects of herbicides. In this work, the in vitro algal growth inhibitory effects of 11 agrochemicals (9 herbicides, 1 metabolite, and 1 safener) were quantified. Chemical compounds were applied singly and in specific mixtures. Three species were used in axenic condition: the green alga Desmodesmus subspicatus (Chodat), the diatoms Nitzschia palea (Kützing) W. Smith and Navicula pelliculosa (Kützing) Hilse. When exposed to single compounds, N. palea and N. pelliculosa were only sensitive to atrazine/desethylatrazine and the safener benoxacor (BE), respectively. D. subspicatus was equally sensitive to four herbicides including atrazine and its metabolite and significantly more sensitive to iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium (IODO). The mixture of these five compounds induced a significantly higher growth inhibition of about 1.5-fold than IODO alone, which could be attributed to the four other herbicides. The mixture of all compounds was twofold less toxic than IODO on D. subspicatus. A halogen atom is present in IODO as in the herbicides to which the safener BE À known to induce glutathione-S-transferases À is associated in agrochemical preparations. We then showed that IODO was less toxic when combined with non-toxic concentrations of BE. These results indicated that the toxicity of the most active herbicide studied was decreased by a non-herbicide compound present in agrochemical formulations of other herbicides. These results suggest the importance to take into account the chemistry and the mechanisms of action for each compound in a risk assessment approach of a complex mixture.
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