A new approach to investigate the interactions between sediment transport and ecotoxicological processes during flood events

Abstract

Extreme hydrodynamic events such as flood events or dredging activities bear the risk of eroding sediments in rivers, reservoirs, harbour basins or estuaries. One of the key concerns associated with these erosion processes is the re-mobilisation of sediment-bound pollutants in highly contaminated sediments. To date, much research has been conducted to characterise flow and sediment processes associated with hydrological events such as floods. Furthermore, there is a large body of literature describing the interaction of contaminants associated with particulate matter to aquatic biota. However, there is little knowledge regarding interactions between hydrosedimentological and ecotoxicological processes. Understanding of the ecotoxicological consequences and associated risks to aquatic wildlife associated with hydraulic events can provide critical information to regulatory bodies or managing authorities. Specifically, it will aid in assessing risks associated with current management practices and will aid in developing more sustainable future management practices for waterways or harbours. Therefore, a combined experimental methodology between hydraulic engineers and ecotoxicologists was developed to investigate the ecological and toxicological relevance of sediment re-suspension and transport during erosion. An overview of this methodology is given in the present paper.

Contribution of Priority PAHs and POPs to Ah Receptor-Mediated Activities in Sediment Samples from the River Elbe Estuary, Germany

“…The combination of bioassays with chemical analyses as used in, e.g., effect-directed analysis, is a powerful tool to identify the unknown substances causing the effect in bioassays [1], [61]. “Another promising approach is the interdisciplinary combination of methods from hydraulic engineering and ecotoxicology in so-called “hydrotoxic” investigations, which can provide information on the toxicological impact of sediment-borne contaminants under realistic exposure conditions [62].…”

Towards science-based sediment quality standards—Effects of field-collected sediments in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

“…Interdisciplinary research employing methods at the intersection of hydraulic engineering and ecotoxicology has been shown to be particularly useful in this context (Cofalla et al, 2012;Schüttrumpf et al, 2011). Here, we report on experiments that were conducted to investigate the time-and concentration-dependent uptake of DLCs from sediment suspensions and their effects in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).…”

Dioxin in the Elbe river basin: policy and science under the water framework directive 2000–2015 and toward 2021

“…To this end, exposure experiments with contaminated sediments were conducted in (a) static re-suspension tanks or (b) an annular flume, an experimental facility in which rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) can be exposed under simulated flood-like conditions (Cofalla et al [ 161 ], Hudjetz et al [ 164 ]. Schüttrumpf et al [ 166 ], Wölz et al [ 167 ], Brinkmann et al [ 168 , 170 ]). The investigated sediments were either spiked with a mixture of PAHs or sampled in the field, the latter of which contained different levels of DLC contamination that were aged under natural conditions.…”

“…Furthermore, additional collaborations were established with the Thünen Institute of Fisheries Ecology (Hamburg, Germany), the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME (Schmallenberg, Germany), the Swiss Federal Institute for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA; Dübendorf, Switzerland), and the Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health (Bern, Switzerland). The DioRAMA project profited largely from the experiences made during the previously introduced projects FloodSearch and FloodSearch II [ 161 , 166 , 167 ].…”