Phytoplankton Sensitivity to Heavy Metals in Baltic Coastal Lakes

Abstract

This study aimed to compare concentrations of chlorophyll-a between individual phytoplankton groups for four shallow Baltic coastal lakes, varying in type of connection with the sea. For two years, the research focused on quantifying the effects of abiotic factors—concentrations of heavy metals (Ba, Bi, Cr, Cu, Mn, Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn) and hydrological connectivity—on phytoplankton composition, biomass, and photosynthetic activity. Our results show that hydrological factors are the main predictors of phytoplankton structure. The lakes differed in salinity: freshwater vs. brackish vs. transitional lakes. Irrespective of lake type, the dominant group was that of Cyanobacteria (~80%), but their percentage contribution was lower in the brackish lake. Baltic seawater intrusion resulted in a decrease in heavy-metal concentrations in lake water for Fe, Zn, Pb, and Bi. Redundancy analysis (RDA) suggested positive effects of some heavy metals on the biomass of the Chlorophyta and Bacillariophyta. For the Cryptophyta only, a slight decrease in biomass was linked with increased metal concentrations in open water.

Land Use Impact on Water Quality and Phytoplankton Community Structure in Danjiangkou Reservoir

“…However, the proliferation of these organisms can be hindered by various types of pollutants, including heavy metals and organic contaminants. These pollutants may adversely affect vital physiological and biochemical processes within the phytoplankton, such as photosynthesis and respiration [17,18]. Additionally, the impact of nutrient enrichment on phytoplankton varies with the type of nutrient involved; specifically, total nitrogen has been observed to influence the proliferation of cyanobacteria [19].…”

Accidental lead in contaminated pipe-borne water and dietary furan intake perturbs rats’ hepatorenal function altering oxidative, inflammatory, and apoptotic balance

“…However, recalcitrant chemicals may accumulate in the body of animals and humans and orchestrate local and systemic toxicities over time [ 1 – 5 ]. In developing countries with no effective policies against the indiscriminate release of recalcitrant chemicals into the ecosystem, phytoplanktons, zooplanktons, and mammals are prone to heavy metal toxicities [ 2 , 6 , 7 ]. In recent years, thermal processing of food products has been observed to affect the structure and integrity of bioorganic molecules such as lipids, protein, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids present in foods, forming unpleasant compounds such as furan.…”