Harbour and coastal sediment chemistry and toxicity: a preliminary assessment of dredging activities

In a project to assess the environmental impact of dumping contaminated harbour material in a coastal marine area of the Northern Tyrrhenian Sea, sediments from different sites (harbour, dumping and uncontaminated sites) were sampled in December 1993 and February 1994. In order to evaluate sediment quality, concentrations of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cr and Hg) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determinated and toxicity tests were carried out using the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. Interstitial water and the sea water overlying sediments (bedded phase and suspended phase) were tested for their effects on fertilization and embryogenesis. Sediment texture was also considered. Metal concentrations, particularly cadmium content, and PAH total concentrations, in harbour sediments were generally higher than in offshore samples. No significant reductions in fertilization were observed. However, effects on the embryonic development were evident and interstitial water toxicity was shown to be greater than either bedded or suspended exposures.     

Ecosystem health as measured from the molecular to the community level of organization,with reference to sediment bioassessment

The current recognition that chemical measurements are uncertain indicators of biological consequences of pollution has shifted the emphasis away from assessing environmental chemistry alone toward the inclusion of measurements of the health of organisms. Effects of pollutants begin with the individual, have subsequent repercussions on population level processes, and ramifications for community structure and functions. Pollutants act at a molecular level and the biochemical lesions is the first step in the manifestation of effects. Technologies that operate at the cellular level assist in elucidating toxicity. Higher levels of integration include an organism's capacity for growth. Laboratory bioassays andin situ research can monitor physiological incapacities and assist in predicting population level effects. A yet higher level of organization is that of the ecological community.     

Early warning assays: an overview of toxicity testing with phytoplankton in the North American Great Lakes

The use of phytoplankton as test organisms in bioassays has recently gained momentum due to their simplicity, availability, sensitivity, rapidity of analysis, and cost-effectiveness. Increasing emphasis is currently being given to field and in situ experiments using indigenous populations, particularly ultraplankton/picoplankton (2–20 m) which play a key role in the microbial loop and food chain dynamics. Impact evaluation can be determined at the structural, ultra-structural, and functional level. An array of techniques is available for toxicity testing including the use of either algal cultures or natural assemblages in laboratory or in situ experiments, the selection of which depends on the objectives, precision required, and project budget of the particular study. An overview is presented of the various procedures using algae in toxicity testing with a focus on the Great Lakes and an emphasis on field techniques. The effective use and application of such sensitive technology has tremendous potential for early warning detection of ecosystem perturbations in concert with a multi-trophic battery of tests.     

污染底泥原位覆盖技术综述

从污染底泥的危害入手,提出简单、有效且低成本的底泥原位覆盖技术.该技术将无污染的清洁材料铺盖到污染底泥上,通过覆盖材料对污染物的阻隔、稳固和吸附作用来有效控制底泥污染物.覆盖材料的粒径、比表面积和孔隙率、密度等特性关系到材料的吸附能力和对底泥污染物的阻隔和稳固作用,从而决定覆盖效果.选取覆盖材料及确定最佳覆盖厚度需要依据材料的这些特性.本文分析了原位覆盖技术的优缺点及适用条件和适用范围.介绍了几种常用的原位覆盖工程的施工方式及每种方式的优缺点,列举了大量的国内外覆盖工程实例,并就覆盖技术在我国良好的应用前景进行了分析.     

Lake restoration with and without dredging of phosphorus-enriched upper sediment layers

Human activity has been the cause of continuing decline of water quality in most Dutch lakes. Development of lake restoration programmes must take into account the lake functions. Major reduction of the nutrient and pollutant loading is the primary step in lake restoration. Still, the recovery of eutrophic lakes is retarded frequently because of internal phosphorus loading by the lakes' sediments. Sediment dredging, as an additional tool for water quality management to accelerate accomplishing the desired water quality, is studied. In this paper we evaluate the preliminary results of eight lake restoration projects in the Netherlands. The lakes are compared in order to estimate the magnitude of the internal phosphorus loading. Dredging as an additional measure was carried out twice in the peatlake Geerplas. In the Nieuwkoop Lakes only the external phosphorus loading was substantially reduced from 0.9 to 0.2 g P m^–2 y^–1. Provisional results of these two shallow peatlake restoration projects focussed on eutrophication abatement with and without dredging, are presented. Both show a decrease in phosphorus concentration in the lakes. The necessity to dredge the lakes is discussed.     

Health-Based Criteria for Sediment Disposal Options: A Case Study of the Port of New York/New Jersey

Approximately 4 million cubic yards of sediment are dredged annually from the Port of New York and New Jersey in order to maintain navigable channels. In many cases, the sediments contain elevated levels of numerous contaminants. The New York District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region II employ a framework of sediment quality evaluation to determine whether contaminated sediments are suitable for open ocean disposal (i.e., do not pose a health risk from bioaccumulation in human food chain) or whether more extensive and costly disposal methods are required. The degree to which chemicals can bioaccumulate from sediments into benthic invertebrates is a key determinant in the permitting decision. The maximally “acceptable” levels of bioaccumulation (bioaccumulation criteria) have been developed over a period of several years, using a variety of different methods. We reviewed the technical bases of these criteria and found that, while some values can be considered “risk-based,” others are based on historical background concentrations, Food and Drug Administration Action Levels, limits of detection, and other non-“risk-based” methodologies. Hence, the degree of uncertainty and health protection (or lack thereof) in the criteria varies considerably among the chemicals. We also reviewed the outcomes of several permit applications and found that the bioaccumulation criteria were not applied consistently. We propose the following refinements to the decision-making process: (1) bioaccumulation screening values based only upon risk-based criteria, using a single method that is applied for all chemicals; (2) increased consistency in decision-making and considerations of site-specific information where appropriate; and (3) assured availability of testing results for review and analysis by interested parties.     

In situ nutrient assays of periphyton growth in a lowland Costa Rican stream

Nutrient limitation of primary production was experimentally assessed using an in situ bioassay technique in the Quebrada Salto, a third-order tropical stream draining the northern foothills of the Cordillera Central in Costa Rica. Bioassays employed artificial substrata enriched with nutrients that slowly diffuse through an agar-sand matrix (Pringle & Bowers, 1984). Multiple comparisons of regression coefficients, describing chlorophyll-a accrual through time for different nutrient treatments, revealed positive micronutrient effect(s). Micronutrient treatment combinations (Fe, B, Mn, Zn, Co, Mo, EDTA), supplemented with and without nitrate and phosphate, exhibited significantly greater chlorophyll-a accrual over all other treatments (P < 0.05), supporting over three times that of the control after 14-d of substratum colonization. Neither of the major nutrients (N or P) produced a significant stimulation, although the N treatment displayed 50% more chlorophyll-a than the control after 14-d. Similarly, Si, EDTA, and Si + N + P treatments did not exhibit chlorophyll-a response curves that were significantly different from the control. During the experiment, mean NH₄-N and (NO₂ + NO₃)-N concentrations in the Salto were 2.0 µM (28.6 µg · l^–1) and 7.2 µM (100.2 µg · l ^–1), respectively. High concentrations of PO₄-P ( = 2.0 µM; 60.9 µg · l^–1) and TP ( = 3.0 µM; 94.0 µg · l^–1) were also found, and consequently low molar N:P ratios = 4.7). Despite the potential for N limitation in the system, both N and P appear to be at growth saturating levels. This may be due to micronutrient limitation and/or light limitation of periphyton growth in densely shaded upstream portions of the stream.     

巢湖双桥河底泥疏浚过程中浮游植物功能群分类研究

浮游植物功能群分类分析可以精确地反映水体环境变化对水生生物群落的影响。为探究巢湖双桥河底泥疏浚工程对浮游植物群落及水生生态系统的影响,对2017年6月—2018年3月双桥河底泥疏浚期间的水体理化因子、浮游植物群落结构和功能群划分开展了研究。研究发现,底泥疏浚工程能够大量削减双桥河水体中的氮、磷营养盐,但疏浚后的双桥河仍处于中-富营养状态;双桥河浮游植物群落依据其生态功能可划分为M、H1、H2、MP、S1、L_O、X2、X1、J、F、N、G、X3、C、D、Y、W1、L_M、E、T、S_N、K、P等23个功能群,绝对优势功能群为以微囊藻为主的M功能群和以硅藻为主的MP、P功能群。底泥疏浚工程对双桥河浮游植物种类的影响不大,但藻类密度和生物量在疏浚后有显著地下降,浮游植物多样性指数也有提升。将浮游植物功能群生物量与环境因子进行冗余分析(RDA)和Pearson分析发现,水环境因子变化对双桥河浮游植物功能群产生了较大影响,双桥河浮游藻类优势功能群由底泥疏浚前的M、MP、P、W1、Y类转变为底泥疏浚后的C、F、J、M、MP、P、Y类。其...     

Exploring aquatic ecosystem health: a multi-trophic and an ecosystemic approach

The field of aquatic ecosystem health is a new and developing discipline. The restoration and recovery of habitats is extremely complex and requires a clear understanding of a desirable and maximum/minimum set of conditions which is acceptable, achievable, and cost-effective for implementation. Since this field of research is still in its infancy, the technology for an integrative and innovative assessment will require a combination of physical, chemical, and biological methods and researchers will have to adopt and use some of the routine chemical, limnological, physiological, ecological, and toxicological procedures. A multi-disciplinary, multi-trophic and an ecosystemic approach has been initiated and applied in the North American Great Lakes during the past several years. This strategy, consisting of structural and functional indicators and endpoints, was implemented in the Great Lakes Areas of Concern adopting a field to laboratory approach for a holistic and integrated evaluation of the ecosystem. Some examples from our Great Lakes experience are presented. The ecosystem health technology should look beyond the traditional approach and must develop innovative, sensitive, automated, and cost-effective procedures including computer-assisted techniques to deal with the problems of stress, healing, recovery, and remediation.     

Probing ecosystem health: a multi-disciplinary and multi-trophic assay strategy

The ecosystem health of stressed environments in the Great Lakes has been evaluated simultaneously by means of a battery of structural and functional tests based on current technology and involving various trophic levels. These tests attempt to assess ecosystem health at the organism level and simultaneously focus on water-borne and sediment-bound toxicities. The use of structural indicators has been successfully demonstrated. Similarly, functional tests were selectively chosen across various trophic levels and included size-fractionated primary productivity (filtered versus unfiltered assays), and Colpidium, Daphnia, Hyalella, and Pontoporeia assays. Some of the emerging techniques such as in situ plankton cages (I.P.C.), microcomputer-based chlorophyll fluorescence (Video Analysis System), and other assays are discussed. The multi-trophic and multi-disciplinary battery of tests followed in our laboratory adopts a field-to-laboratory approach. The availability of diverse bioassays have placed toxicologists and environmentalists in a position where they are now better equipped to probe the complexities of ecosystem health and its management.Dedicated to the memory of my mother who was a great teacher, guide and an incredible source of inspiration.     

The influence of biotope availability on macroinvertebrate assemblages in South African rivers: implications for aquatic bioassessment

1. Macroinvertebrate biotope preferences and the influence of differences in the availability of biotopes on individual taxa, macroinvertebrate assemblages and a biotic index, the South African Scoring System (SASS), were investigated in two regions of South Africa. 2. Among biotope differences in individual taxa and macroinvertebrate assemblages resulted in differences in SASS scores, with differences in assemblages being greater among biotopes than between sites. 3. All three metrics studied (SASS score, number of taxa and average score per taxon, ASPT), differed significantly among biotopes, with highest scores consistently recorded in the stones biotope, while lowest SASS scores and fewest taxa were recorded in the sand biotope. 4. SASS score and number of taxa were positively, while ASPT was negatively correlated with number of biotopes sampled. 5. The observed biotope differences highlight the importance of sampling and comparing data from sites separately for each biotope.     

Taxonomic identification of algae (morphological and molecular): species concepts,methodologies, and their implications for ecological bioassessment

Algal taxonomy is a key discipline in phycology and is critical for algal genetics, physiology, ecology, applied phycology, and particularly bioassessment. Taxonomic identification is the most common analysis and hypothesis‐testing endeavor in science. Errors of identification are often related to the inherent problem of small organisms with morphologies that are difficult to distinguish without research‐grade microscopes and taxonomic expertise in phycology. Proposed molecular approaches for taxonomic identification from environmental samples promise rapid, potentially inexpensive, and more thorough culture‐independent identification of all algal species present in a sample of interest. Molecular identification has been used in biodiversity and conservation, but it also has great potential for applications in bioassessment. Comparisons of morphological and molecular identification of benthic algal communities are improved by the identification of more taxa; however, automated identification technology does not allow for the simultaneous analysis of thousands of samples. Currently, morphological identification is used to verify molecular taxonomic identities, but with the increased number of taxa verified in algal gene libraries, molecular identification will become a universal tool in biological studies. Thus, in this report, successful application of molecular techniques related to algal bioassessment is discussed.     

In situ bioremediation of contaminated aquifers and subsurface soils

Bioremediation, the use of microorganisms to detoxify and degrade hazardous wastes, is an emerging in situ treatment technology for the remediation of contaminated aquifers and subsurface soils. This technology depends upon the alteration of the physical/chemical conditions in the subsurface environment to optimize microbiological activity. As such, successful bioremediation depends not only upon an understanding of microbial degradation processes, but also upon an understanding of the complex interactions that occur between the contaminants, the subsurface environment, and the indigenous microbial populations at each site. At present, these interactions are poorly understood. Site‐specific evaluation and design therefore are essential for bioremediation. In this paper, we review microbiological, hydrological, and geochemical factors that should be considered in evaluating the appropriateness of bioremediation for hazardous waste‐contaminated aquifers and subsurface soils.     

凉水、帽儿山低级溪流中水生昆虫的群落特征及水质生物评价

在东北林业大学凉水国家级自然保护区和帽儿山实验林场,对3种类型低级溪流中水生昆虫进行采集、鉴定,分析水生昆虫群落组成、季节优势集中性和取食功能群,并应用指示生物法、Shannon-Weiner多样性指数、群落相似性系数和BI指数对溪流水质进行生物评价。共采集到水生昆虫4907个,分别隶属于8目38科,其中,毛翅目、蜉蝣目、横翅目和双翅目为四大优势类群,个体数量占水生昆虫总数量的91．13％。原始林溪流中水生昆虫个体数量最多,占总数的58．98％,次生林溪流次之,农田溪流最少。次生林溪流水生昆虫物种多样性要高于原始林和农田溪流,且其各种取食功能群比例较均衡。齿角石蛾科、鳞石蛾科、新蜉科和黑横科昆虫可以作为溪流清洁水质的指示生物。水生昆虫季节优势集中性与Shannon-Weiner多样性指数水质评价结果之间具有相关性,即随溪流水质污染程度的加重,水生昆虫的物种多样性逐渐减少。群落相似性系数的分析表明,原始林溪流和次生林溪流水质对水生昆虫的群落组成没有影响,农田溪流则产生中等影响。生物指数（BI）评价结果显示除了农田溪流10月的水质为轻污染外,其余时间3种溪流的水质都能达到清洁标准以上。     

The effect of scallop dredging on Irish Sea benthos: experiments using a closed area

A 2 km² area off the southwest coast of the Isle of Man (Irish Sea) has been closed to commercial fishing with mobile gear since March 1989. This area was heavily fished for Pecten maximus (Linnaeus, 1758) prior to closure, and the seabed immediately surrounding the closed area is still one of the most heavily dredged in the Irish Sea. Two methods have been used to study the effect of scallop dredging on the benthos in this closed area and adjacent fished areas. Firstly, twice-yearly grab sampling of experimental plots inside and outside the closed area since 1995 has enabled comparisons of the benthic infauna and epifauna of experimentally dredged plots, undredged control plots and plots exposed to commercial dredging. Secondly, divers have carried out visual transect surveys of P. maximus numbers regularly since closure. Communities of experimentally disturbed plots have become less similar to adjacent undisturbed control areas and more similar to commercially dredged areas. At each sampling date, similarity between dredged samples was greater than between undredged samples. Since 1989, there have been increases in the mean numbers of P. maximus in the closed area. The age structure of the closed area P. maximus population is also different to that outside, with a higher mean age due to the presence of large, old individuals.These results present strong evidence that scallop dredging alters benthic communities and suggest that the closure of areas to commercial dredging may allow the development of more heterogeneous communities and permit the populations of some species to increase. A common problem with studying fishing disturbance is the lack of good control sites and this work also demonstrates the value of closed areas to scientific studies of demersal fishing.     

Impact of rhizobacterial inoculants on plant growth and enzyme activities in soil treated with contaminated bottom sediments

The impact of contaminated bottom sediments on plant growth and soil enzyme activities was evaluated in a greenhouse pot study. The sediments were moderately contaminated with zinc and heavily contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans. The sediments were mixed with soil and planted with either Festuca arundinacea or Tagetes patula. The capacity of two rhizobacterial strains (Massilia niastensis P87 and Streptomyces costaricanus RP92), previously isolated from contaminated soils, to improve plant growth under the chemical stress was tested. Application of sediments to soil was severely phytotoxic to T. patula and mildly to F. arundinacea. On the other hand, the addition of sediments enhanced the soil enzymatic activity. Inoculation with both bacterial strains significantly increased shoot (up to 2.4-fold) and root (up to 3.4-fold) biomass of T. patula. The study revealed that the selected plant growth-promoting bacterial strains were able to alleviate phytotoxicity of bottom sediments to T. patula resulting from the complex character of the contamination.     

Comparison of the Long-Term Risks of Removal and In Situ Management of Contaminated Sediments in the Fox River

The long-term potential risks of environmental dredging vs. in situ contaminated sediment management practices are discussed and compared for the Lower Fox River, Wisconsin. The risks are identified as being largely associated with the residual sediment contamination associated with either approach. The integral of the surface area-weighted average contaminant concentration in surface sediment is proposed as a metric to compare these risks. Capping is shown to exhibit significantly reduced exposure and risk relative to the dredging scenarios, even if potential undetected erosion of 5% of the cap is considered. Even with the improbable event of undetected failure of 25% of the cap, the exposure and risk associated with capping is approximately equal to or below all dredging scenarios. A preference for dredging due to the perception that it eliminates the long-term risk of in situ capping is not supported by this analysis. Although strictly applicable only to the Lower Fox River, the results suggest sitespecific analyses must be conducted to determine which sediment management approaches minimize the potential for long-term exposure and risk.     

The use of invertebrate functional groups to characterize ecosystem attributes in selected streams and rivers in south Brazil

An analysis conducted at nine stream/river sites in the Atlantic Forest region in the State of Paraná, Brazil used macroinvertebrate functional feeding group (FFG) assessments to evaluate ecological condition of the sites. The FFG approach categorizes qualitative macroinvertebrate collections according to their morphological-behavioral adaptations for food acquisition (e.g. scrapers that harvest non-filamentous, attached algae from stable surfaces in flowing water). FFG ratios were employed as surrogates for stream/river ecosystem attributes: balance between autotrophy and heterotrophy; linkage between riparian inputs of coarse particulate organic matter and in-stream food webs; relative dominance of fine particulate organic matter in transport (suspended load) compared to that deposited in the sediments; and geomorphic stability of the channel. The analyses indicated that all nine sites were heterotrophic, six of the nine carried expected levels of suspended organic load and showed below expected linkage with riparian inputs, and in only two were stable substrates limiting. The implications of the findings and recommendations for further analysis and modifications of the protocol are discussed.     

Sediment toxicity testing in two areas of concern of the Laurentian Great Lakes: Toronto (Ontario) and Toledo (Ohio) Harbours

The impact of elutriated sediment-associated contaminants from Toronto and Toledo Harbours on ultraplankton (5–20 µm) and microplankton/netplankton (> 20 µm) carbon assimilation rates was determined using Algal Fractionation Bioassays (AFBs). All of the Toronto elutriate caused significant inhibition of ultraplankton carbon assimilation. The Toronto Site 2 elutriate caused the greatest significant inhibition (38 percent, p < 0.001) with a 20 percent dose of standard elutriate. Similarly, all Toledo elutriates caused significant inhibition of ultraplankton productivity. Toledo Site 2 elutriate was the most toxic with the 20 percent elutriate dose (35 percent, p < 0.001).The treatment of elutriates with Chelex-100 resin was used to remove dissolved free metal ions which, in some samples, resulted in the recovery of ¹⁴C assimilation. This was attributed to the elimination of the toxic effects of dissolved metals removed by the Chelex treatment. Residual toxicity after the Chelex treatment was ascribed to the high PCB levels observed in the sediment samples taken from both harbours and possibly to other organic contaminants. Due to the extreme sensitivity of the technique, an EC25 is proposed as an early warning indicator for applied use by regulatory agencies. Our procedure has been included amongst a battery of tests recommended by the International Joint Commission for monitoring areas of concern in the Laurentian Great Lakes.     

Short-term impact of blue mussel dredging (Mytilus edulis L.) on a benthic community

The short-term effect of mussel dredging in a brackish Danish sound was studied. A commercial dredging track was identified and an analysis of the species composition inside the track and at an adjacent control area showed that dredging changed the community structure by reducing the density of polychaetes. In order to investigate the extent and the duration of the dredging impact experimental dredging was conducted. The experimental dredging removed 50% of the mussels in two dredged areas. Immediately after dredging, a significantly lower number of species was measured inside the mussel beds in dredged areas compared to control and boundary areas. This effect lasted for at least 40 days. The analysis of the species composition showed that the dredged area had a significantly lower density, particularly of polychaetes compared to the boundary area. An increased number of species was recorded outside the mussel beds just after dredging, but this effect lasted for less than 7 days. After dredging, brown shrimps, C. crangon invaded the dredged areas. This species is an important predator of smaller invertebrates, and it is suspected that it was feeding on small vulnerable polychaetes exposed at the sediment surface after dredging. The dredging process was observed to form 2–5-cm deep furrows in the seabed, but the sediment texture and the organic content of the sediment was not affected. The biomass accumulation of individual blue mussels was significantly lower in the dredged area compared to the boundary area. This indicates that the disturbance of the mussel bed structure reduced growth and that the lowering of intraspecific food competition caused by a reduced density of mussels did not increase the accumulation of biomass in the mussels which remained in the dredged area.