Arsenic toxicity effects on microbial communities and nutrient cycling in indoor experimental channels mimicking a fluvial system

Tuulaikhuu, Baigal-Amar; Romaní, Anna M.; Guasch, Helena

doi:10.1016/j.aquatox.2015.07.005

Cited by 23 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 68 publications

(77 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Based on the pollution-induced community tolerance concept first introduced by Blanck et al (1988) , microbial sediment communities might also have acquired resistance to As due to chronic exposure to the low As concentration (i.e., about 3 mg kg -1 dw) observed in the river sediment from the sampling location. Indeed, Tuulaikhuu et al, 2015 demonstrated that As concentrations close to 0.6 mg kg -1 dw could cause a high mortality in sediment bacterial communities and a significant decrease in phosphatase activity per sediment surface area after a 60-day exposure period. Such results thus suggest that low concentrations of As could be sufficient to induce tolerance changes in bacterial communities due to the elimination of the most sensitive species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Concentrations of Copper, Alone or in Mixture With Arsenic, Can Impact River Sediment Microbial Community Structure and Functions

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In many aquatic ecosystems, sediments are an essential compartment, which supports high levels of specific and functional biodiversity thus contributing to ecological functioning. Sediments are exposed to inputs from ground or surface waters and from surrounding watershed that can lead to the accumulation of toxic and persistent contaminants potentially harmful for benthic sediment-living communities, including microbial assemblages. As benthic microbial communities play crucial roles in ecological processes such as organic matter recycling and biomass production, we performed a 21-day laboratory channel experiment to assess the structural and functional impact of metals on natural microbial communities chronically exposed to sediments spiked with copper (Cu) and/or arsenic (As) alone or mixed at environmentally relevant concentrations (40 mg kg-1 for each metal). Heterotrophic microbial community responses to metals were evaluated both in terms of genetic structure (using ARISA analysis) and functional potential (using exoenzymatic, metabolic and functional genes analyses). Exposure to Cu had rapid marked effects on the structure and most of the functions of the exposed communities. Exposure to As had almost undetectable effects, possibly due to both lack of As bioavailability or toxicity toward the exposed communities. However, when the two metals were combined, certain functional responses suggested a possible interaction between Cu and As toxicity on heterotrophic communities. We also observed temporal dynamics in the functional response of sediment communities to chronic Cu exposure, alone or in mixture, with some functions being resilient and others being impacted throughout the experiment or only after several weeks of exposure. Taken together, these findings reveal that metal contamination of sediment could impact both the genetic structure and the functional potential of chronically exposed microbial communities. Given their functional role in aquatic ecosystems, it poses an ecological risk as it may impact ecosystem functioning.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Concentrations of Copper, Alone or in Mixture With Arsenic, Can Impact River Sediment Microbial Community Structure and Functions

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In an experimental microcosm study, environmentally realistic concentrations of arsenic (15 and 130 µg L −1 ) had toxic effects on biofilms [17]. Algal growth, quality of the biofilm and contribution to nutrient cycling was affected by exposition to an average exposure concentration of 37 µg L −1 in [14]. Barral-Fraga et al [43] found that exposition to 130 µg L −1 over 13 days reduced the cell biovolume of the diatom community and the species richness and produced a selection for tolerant species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Biofilms not only retain, but also modify, arsenic speciation and mobility in aqueous systems [12,13]. In fluvial ecosystems, it has been demonstrated that the microorganisms forming the biofilm incorporate the dominant inorganic As forms (iAs) and transform it through metabolic or detoxifying processes, which has a big impact on the ecotoxicological behavior of arsenic [14,15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of the Chronic Toxicity and Interactions between Arsenic and Riverbed Biofilms

Barral

Rodríguez-Iglesias

Prieto

et al. 2022

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The toxic effect of exposure to arsenic, As(V), at concentrations of 0 to 30 mg L−1, for 49 days, on epipsammic biofilms, was evaluated in a microcosm experiment. The growth and composition of biofilms developed on sediments containing As concentrations of 31 mg kg−1 and 85 mg kg−1 were compared, using photosynthetic parameters and Live/Dead stains as end points. A toxic effect of arsenic could not be demonstrated; however, biofilm growth was higher over the sediment with higher arsenic concentrations, suggesting the development of pollution-induced community induced tolerance (PICT). Nevertheless, PICT was not observed after exposure to high arsenic concentration in the laboratory, as there were no differences in algal growth between the previous 0 and 30 mg L−1 systems exposed to new 30 mg As L−1 dissolution over 29 days. The algal composition was affected by the added arsenic, and brown algae were the most tolerant compared to green algae and cyanophyceae, as their percentage increased from 25 and 33% in the control samples to 57 and 47% in the samples with the highest added As concentration. In turn, the biofilm development influenced arsenic redistribution and speciation. Arsenic concentration in water decreased with time during the incubation experiment, retained by the sediment particles and the biofilm. In the biofilm, extracellular As was significantly higher (up to 11 times) than intracellular arsenic. As(V) was the predominant species in water and in the biofilm, but products of biotic transformation, namely As(III), DMA(V) and MMA(V), were also found in the solution and in the biofilm in some systems, demonstrating reduction and methylation by the organisms. As a conclusion, a toxic effect was not detected for the concentrations evaluated. Biofilms naturally exposed in the river system to high As concentrations acquire pollution-induced tolerance; however, tolerance was not acquired by exposure to 30 mg L−1 for 29 days in the laboratory.

show abstract

“…However, arsenic may change the nutrient dynamics and influence the whole ecosystem. For instance, a study [142] assessed the effects of 120 µg As V L −1 on periphyton, epipsammon, and fish under P-limiting conditions (around 6 µg L −1 ). Total dissolved arsenic concentration decreased exponentially to 28 µg As L −1 during the two month test, mostly due to adsorption to the sediment, but with a small amount accumulated in the periphyton.…”

Section: Effects Of Arsenic Toxicity In Microorganisms and In Trophicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biotic and Abiotic Factors Influencing Arsenic Biogeochemistry and Toxicity in Fluvial Ecosystems: A Review

Barral-Fraga

Barral

MacNeill

et al. 2020

IJERPH

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This review is focused on the biogeochemistry of arsenic in freshwaters and, especially, on the key role that benthic microalgae and prokaryotic communities from biofilms play together in through speciation, distribution, and cycling. These microorganisms incorporate the dominant iAs (inorganic arsenic) form and may transform it to other arsenic forms through metabolic or detoxifying processes. These transformations have a big impact on the environmental behavior of arsenic because different chemical forms exhibit differences in mobility and toxicity. Moreover, exposure to toxicants may alter the physiology and structure of biofilms, leading to changes in ecosystem function and trophic relations. In this review we also explain how microorganisms (i.e., biofilms) can influence the effects of arsenic exposure on other key constituents of aquatic ecosystems such as fish. At the end, we present two real cases of fluvial systems with different origins of arsenic exposure (natural vs. anthropogenic) that have improved our comprehension of arsenic biogeochemistry and toxicity in freshwaters, the Pampean streams (Argentina) and the Anllóns River (Galicia, Spain). We finish with a briefly discussion of what we consider as future research needs on this topic. This work especially contributes to the general understanding of biofilms influencing arsenic biogeochemistry and highlights the strong impact of nutrient availability on arsenic toxicity for freshwater (micro) organisms.

show abstract

Arsenic toxicity effects on microbial communities and nutrient cycling in indoor experimental channels mimicking a fluvial system

Cited by 23 publications

References 68 publications

Environmental Concentrations of Copper, Alone or in Mixture With Arsenic, Can Impact River Sediment Microbial Community Structure and Functions

Environmental Concentrations of Copper, Alone or in Mixture With Arsenic, Can Impact River Sediment Microbial Community Structure and Functions

Assessment of the Chronic Toxicity and Interactions between Arsenic and Riverbed Biofilms

Biotic and Abiotic Factors Influencing Arsenic Biogeochemistry and Toxicity in Fluvial Ecosystems: A Review

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About