Discriminating the Ecotoxicity due to Metals and to Low pH in Acid Mine Drainage

Lopes, Isabel; Gonçalves, Fernando; Soares, Amadeu M.V.M.; Ribeiro, Rui

doi:10.1006/eesa.1999.1825

Cited by 56 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 12 publications

(6 reference statements)

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“…The mine effluent is strongly acidic due to the continuous oxidation of abandoned mine tailings, and contains large amounts of heavy metals (in decreasing order: Fe, Al, Zn, Cu, Mn, Co, Ni, Cd, Pb, Cr, As) (Lopes et al, 1999;Pereira et al, 1999Pereira et al, , 2000. After some dilution due to a small watercourse, the untreated effluent enters the Chanc¸a River reservoir (part of the Guadiana River basin) near an ancient dam.…”

Section: Study Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

An In Situ Bioassay Integrating Individual and Biochemical Responses Using Small Fish Species

et al. 2004

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The interest in the ecological relevance of risk assessments and, thus, in in situ bioassays has been increasing in the last years. The present study developed a time- and cost-effective in situ bioassay, aiming at obtaining, in a short period of time and with a minimum of resources, a set of ecologically relevant toxicological information in a site-specific approach. Poecilia reticulata and Gambusia holbrooki were chosen as test species. Post-exposure feeding inhibition and the biomarkers acetylcholinesterase, lactate dehydrogenase and glutathione S-transferases were the endpoints tested. The battery of biomarkers as a whole was sensitive to the in situ exposure in an acid mine drainage impacted effluent, although responses varied between test species. Post-exposure feeding inhibition was the most sensitive endpoint, and its association with biomarker responses was discussed. The linkage between individual responses, such as feeding, and biomarkers suggested that, at least in this case, biomarkers can be relevant at higher levels of biological organization. Altogether, the proposed short-term in situ bioassay seems to be a promising tool, since it represents a reasonable compromise between sensitivity, time/cost-effectiveness and ecological relevance.

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Section: Study Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

An In Situ Bioassay Integrating Individual and Biochemical Responses Using Small Fish Species

et al. 2004

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“…The mine was abandoned more than 40 years ago, but pyrite oxidation is still occurring in the mine tailings and continuously producing an effluent severely acidified (pH < 2.5) and highly contaminated with metals (mainly Fe, Al, Zn, Cu, Co, Ni, and Pb) [11,23,24]. After being slightly diluted by the Mosteirão stream, the effluent flows into the reservoir of the Chança River (see Figure of Moreira-Santos et al [11]), creating a dynamic pH and metal gradient that is dependent on rainfall.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

An in situ toxicity assay with the local phytoplankton community

Moreira‐Santos

Antunes

Gonçalves

et al. 2010

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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The present study describes an approach for toxicity estimates based on the in situ exposure of the local phytoplankton community immobilized in calcium-alginate beads. The assay was deployed in an acid mine drainage-impacted system, at a reference site and an impacted site. Abundances and growth rates of major taxonomic groups (green algae, flagellates, diatoms, and cyanobacteria) and of the entire community were measured. The ecological relevance of classical toxicity estimates was evaluated by performing in situ and laboratory assays with the standard species Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and Chlorella vulgaris. Site waters were tested without and with nutrient enrichment, to discriminate toxic effects from those caused by nutrient limitations. Despite the occurrence of growth-limiting conditions for the local phytoplankton within the alginate matrix, an impact of the mine effluent on the community was detected. The growth of the community and of all taxonomic groups, except for the cyanobacteria, was less at the impacted site than at the reference site, although adding nutrients partially compensated for the effluent detrimental effects. Shifts in the community structure were also provoked by the mine effluent; decreases in the abundance of green algae were paralleled by increases in the abundance of flagellates and diatoms, but mainly of cyanobacteria. Effects on the growth of both standard species of green algae were in conformity with those on the local phytoplankton, probably because the latter was dominated by green algae. Although future improvements regarding the cell immobilization technique should be attempted, the proposed easy and inexpensive approach to assess both the growth and the structure of local phytoplankton communities will allow more environmentally realistic site-specific assessments of water quality.

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“…The abandoned mine tailings of this mine produce an acid mine drainage (AMD) effluent contaminated with the metals Al, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Co, Ni, Cd, Cr, Pb, and As (in the range of 164-362, 90.8-350, 14.0-85.5, 17.9-38.0, 11.0-22.8, 1.07-2.41, 0.383-0.780, 0.048-0.740, 0.0564-0.142, <0.100-0.254, and 0.006-0.037 mg/L, respectively) (Lopes et al, 1999), which is discharged into the Chanç a River reservoir, within the Guadiana River basin, Portugal. Three sites within this system were sampled: one contaminated with acid mine drainage (site I), after the confluence of the AMD effluent with a small subsidiary stream (Mosteirão stream); one upstream reference site within the same waterbody (site R), separated from site I by a direct distance of 3 km by land (water distance of 9.4 km); and one reference site (RR) in an independent semiartificial lagoon, located 5.8 km from site I and 4.9 km from site R (Fig.…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 96%

Effects of acid mine drainage on the genetic diversity and structure of a natural population of Daphnia longispina

et al. 2009

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a b s t r a c tThe increase in resistance to contaminants can result in the loss of genetic diversity of impacted populations. In this work, the effects of acid mine drainage (AMD) on the genetic diversity and structure of a historically exposed population of Daphnia longispina were evaluated using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis. Individual sensitivity to acute copper exposure was determined in order to characterize the populations in terms of metal tolerance and in an attempt to identify possible contaminant indicative bands (CIB). No reduction in genetic diversity was found in the AMD impacted site population, in comparison to two reference populations. However, the analysis of molecular variance indicated a significant genetic differentiation from the two reference populations and a significant correlation between individual genetic distance and tolerance. The different average tolerance of individuals presenting one specific AFLP band indicated the existence of one putative CIB.

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Discriminating the Ecotoxicity due to Metals and to Low pH in Acid Mine Drainage

Cited by 56 publications

References 12 publications

An In Situ Bioassay Integrating Individual and Biochemical Responses Using Small Fish Species

An In Situ Bioassay Integrating Individual and Biochemical Responses Using Small Fish Species

An in situ toxicity assay with the local phytoplankton community

Effects of acid mine drainage on the genetic diversity and structure of a natural population of Daphnia longispina

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