A comparison of the fatty acid composition of Gammarus lacustris and its food sources from a freshwater reservoir, Bugach, and the saline Lake Shira in Siberia, Russia

We studied fatty acid (FA) composition in samples from bodies and intestinal contents of the littoral amphipod Gammarus lacustris Sars, from the Bugach freshwater reservoir. Simultaneously, samples of seston and bottom sediments were also collected from the reservoir during early August. There were no differences in FA composition of gut contents, seston and sediments of pebbly bottom. Seston was the main food source of Gammarus but some FAs Gammarus got from sediments. The FA composition of G. lacustris and seston from the Bugach freshwater reservoir were compared with those of the animals from the saltwater Lake Shira (Siberia). While FA composition of the two Gammarus populations differed significantly, those of seston were practically similar: the composition of long-chain unsaturated fatty acids, 20:53, 22:63 and 20:46, were significantly higher in animals from saline Shira Lake, whereas 16:1 and 16:0 were higher in the freshwater populations of amphipods from the Bugach freshwater reservoir. Taking into account the relevant literature data, we hypothesise that this difference in C16 acid might be a distinguishing characteristic of FA composition of freshwater and saltwater crustaceans.     

High resolution vertical profiles of pH in recent sediments

High resolution (0.1 cm sampling interval) profiles of pH were obtained from some recent estuarine (Long Island Sound, Chesapeake Bay) and freshwater (Lake Erie) sediments and from laboratory microcosms containing homogenized Lake Erie sediment (both with and without tubificid oligochaetes) by incrementally precessing a micro-pH electrode downward through the sediment. These profiles revealed that hydrogen ion undergoes chemical reactions on a scale smaller than can be resolved using classic 1 cm sampling intervals, and that the vertical distribution of hydrogen ion is affected by bioturbation. In all sediments examined, a local pH minimum occurred immediately below the oxidized zone. In estuarine sediments, a second deeper pH minimum was observed. The presence of tubificids prevented profound pH changes from developing in microcosm sediments treated with a layer of activated sewage sludge and resulted in more modest alterations of pH profile in microcosm sediments lacking such a layer. The technique used in this study is by no means limited to pH. In principal, any chemical species that can be directly determined by electrodes (e.g. O₂, S^-2) may be studied. Microelectrode techniques could be especially useful in the study of chemical gradients around animal burrows and in time series studies of whole core diagenesis.     

The use of meiofauna in freshwater sediment assessments: Structural and functional responses of meiobenthic communities to metal and organics contamination

Because soft sediments are often hotspots of chemical contamination, their assessment can aid in identifying the causes of environmental stress and the implementation of measures to improve the health of the respective ecosystems. Achieving a “good ecological status” of surface waters, as required by the European Water Framework Directive, strongly depends on recognition of the chemical status of sediments. Meiobenthic organisms are important, but widely neglected components of the ecologically relevant fauna of a wide variety of ecosystems. In the present study, microcosms containing freshwater sediments were used to investigate the effects of eight different metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), in single and mixed applications, on natural meiofaunal assemblages. Structural (abundance and biomass) and functional (secondary production) parameters of the investigated assemblages were measured as ecologically relevant endpoints. Their sensitivity in revealing both the differential effects and the responses of meiofaunal taxa was evaluated to assess the general suitability of meiofauna and, in particular, of individual tested taxa, as bioindicators of soft sediment contamination. Structural parameters were found to be more valuable indicators than functional measurements, with more pronounced effects observed on the taxon level than on total meiofauna. Among the meiofaunal taxa considered in this study, nematodes were of particular utility as early indicators of chemical stress in freshwater soft sediments. Overall, this study provides new insights into the impact of toxicants on soft freshwater sediments and demonstrates the suitability of meiofaunal communities, especially nematodes, in assessing contamination of this ecosystem.     

Pacific Northwest marine sediments contain ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in the beta subdivision of the Proteobacteria

The diversity of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in aquatic sediments was studied by retrieving ammonia monooxygenase and methane monooxygenase gene sequences. Methanotrophs dominated freshwater sediments, while beta-proteobacterial ammonia oxidizers dominated marine sediments. These results suggest that gamma-proteobacteria such as Nitrosococcus oceani are minor members of marine sediment ammonia-oxidizing communities.     

Genetic structure of natural populations of Nitrobacter in an aquatic environment

Nitrification has been essentially studied as a chemical process and the studies of the microbial population have been slightly worked out. This work constitutes a first attempt to study the diversity of Nitrobacter strains with the aim of working out the genetic structure of natural populations. The Nitrobacter population structure was compared between freshwater and sediments of the same lake. Nitrobacter isolates were identified and characterized by DNA/DNA hybridization, restriction pattern of rRNA genes, PCR/RFLP analysis of the ribosomal intergenic spacer and plasmid patterns. It was shown that this lake population was split into 3 subpopulations: a specific freshwater subpopulation, a specific sediment subpopulation and a nonspecific one. A 60 MDa plasmid was detected in 3,3% of freshwater isolates. A 37 MDa plasmid was detected in 59% of sediments isolates. This 37 MDa plasmid was not associated with a genomic group, but associated with a localization: the sediments. These results suggest that this 37 MDa plasmid could be implicated in the adaptation to sediment environment.     

Role of methanogens and other bacteria in degradation of dimethyl sulfide and methanethiol in anoxic freshwater sediments

The roles of several trophic groups of organisms (methanogens and sulfate- and nitrate-reducing bacteria) in the microbial degradation of methanethiol (MT) and dimethyl sulfide (DMS) were studied in freshwater sediments. The incubation of DMS- and MT-amended slurries revealed that methanogens are the dominant DMS and MT utilizers in sulfate-poor freshwater systems. In sediment slurries, which were depleted of sulfate, 75 micromol of DMS was stoichiometrically converted into 112 micromol of methane. The addition of methanol or MT to DMS-degrading slurries at concentrations similar to that of DMS reduced DMS degradation rates. This indicates that the methanogens in freshwater sediments, which degrade DMS, are also consumers of methanol and MT. To verify whether a competition between sulfate-reducing and methanogenic bacteria for DMS or MT takes place in sulfate-rich freshwater systems, the effects of sulfate and inhibitors, like bromoethanesulfonic acid, molybdate, and tungstate, on the degradation of MT and DMS were studied. The results for these sulfate-rich and sulfate-amended slurry incubations clearly demonstrated that besides methanogens, sulfate-reducing bacteria take part in MT and DMS degradation in freshwater sediments, provided that sulfate is available. The possible involvement of an interspecies hydrogen transfer in these processes is discussed. In general, our study provides evidence for methanogenesis as a major sink for MT and DMS in freshwater sediments.     

Comparison of the relative sensitivity of three benthic invertebrates to copper-contaminated sediments from the Keweenaw Waterway

The Keweenaw Peninsula in northern Michigan was once a major copper mining area and these mining activities were responsible for depositing tons of tailings in and around the Keweenaw Waterway. In recent years there has been concern about possible toxic effects of the contaminated sediments on aquatic communities in the system. In the fall of 1990, sediments were collected from various locations along the Waterway. Ten-day tests were conducted with the samples using three species of benthic invertebrates that have been proposed as suitable for evaluating the toxicity of freshwater sediments: Hyalella azteca (amphipods), Chironomus tentans (chironomids) and Lumbriculus variegatus(oligochaetes). A number of sediments were toxic to one or more of the three species and, in general, there was good agreement among the tests with regard to identifying toxic samples. Unexpectedly, the relative sensitivity of the three species to the test sediments was not accurately predicted from water-only copper exposures. This indicates that factors modifying exposure, such as different lifestyles and/or varying sensitivity to physico-chemical characteristics of sediments can influence results of sediment toxicity tests.     

青藏高原淡水湖普莫雍错和盐水湖阿翁错湖底沉积物中细菌群落的垂直分布

【目的】湖泊沉积物中存储着大量独特的微生物,这些微生物在湖泊生态系统生物地球化学循环中扮演着非常重要的角色。然而,很少有研究报道微生物群落在湖泊沉积物中的垂直分布。本文比较研究青藏高原淡水湖普莫雍错和盐水湖阿翁错沉积物在不同深度下细菌的丰度和群落结构。【方法】利用定量PCR(q PCR)和变性梯度凝胶电泳(DGGE)技术分别测定细菌群落的丰度与群落结构。【结果】定量PCR结果显示,湖泊沉积物中细菌丰度均随深度增加而降低,盐水湖阿翁错和淡水湖普莫雍错的细菌丰度分别从1011数量级降到108数量级,从1012数量级降到1010数量级。在相对应的沉积物层,淡水湖沉积物的细菌丰度比盐水湖高1-2个数量级。变性梯度凝胶电泳(DGGE)指纹图谱的分析表明,淡水湖沉积物细菌群落的DGGE条带数(丰富度)显著高于盐水湖(P=0.014);淡水与盐水湖泊沉积物细菌群落结构明显不同,同时在同一湖泊沉积物中上层(0-6 cm)和下层(7-20 cm)细菌群落结构也呈明显分异。系统发育分析表明,盐水湖阿翁错沉积物特有菌门为Gamma-变形菌、拟杆菌门、蓝细菌和栖热菌门,而淡水湖普莫雍错沉积物中特有菌门为Delta-和Beta-变形菌、酸杆菌和绿弯菌门。【结论】青藏高原淡水与盐水湖泊沉积物细菌丰度与群落结构具有明显的差异;同时,细菌群落结构在沉积物的不同深度也表现出差异。这些结果可为进一步阐明青藏高原湖泊生态系统中微生物对气候环境变化的响应提供科学依据。     

Spatial distribution and qualitative composition of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in bottom sediments and bream (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Abramis brama</Emphasis> L.) from the Rybinsk Reservoir

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were found in bottom sediments and muscles of a freshwater fish, bream (Abramis brama L.), from the Rybinsk Reservoir. The contents of POPs decreased in the following order: PCBs > DDT > HCH > HCB. The POPs contents vary within the ranges of 0.14–50.8, 1.8–6.8, 0.64–2.6, and 0.06–0.41 \gmg/kg wet weight for fish and 24.8–425.6, 2.3–27.1, and 0.34–0.83 fug/kg dry weight for bottom sediments (except for HCH), respectively. The highest and lowest POPs levels were found in the Sheksna and the Mologa reaches of the reservoir, respectively. The differences in the spatial distribution of POPs in the reservoir relate to the ways that contaminants enter and migrate in the waterbody but not to various compositions of bottom sediments. The waste waters of the city of Cherepovets are the main local source of POPs in the Sheksna reach of the reservoir; in the Mologa reach, the contaminants enter with surface runoff and through global transboundary and local atmospheric transports from the Cherepovets industry. The qualitative composition of POPs evidences their continuing income to the reservoir. Considering the revealed levels of POPs accumulation and their legislative safe environment levels, it should be concluded that PCBs represent the highest environmental threat to the reservoir’s ecosystem.     

Role of Methanogens and Other Bacteria in Degradation of Dimethyl Sulfide and Methanethiol in Anoxic Freshwater Sediments

The roles of several trophic groups of organisms (methanogens and sulfate- and nitrate-reducing bacteria) in the microbial degradation of methanethiol (MT) and dimethyl sulfide (DMS) were studied in freshwater sediments. The incubation of DMS- and MT-amended slurries revealed that methanogens are the dominant DMS and MT utilizers in sulfate-poor freshwater systems. In sediment slurries, which were depleted of sulfate, 75 μmol of DMS was stoichiometrically converted into 112 μmol of methane. The addition of methanol or MT to DMS-degrading slurries at concentrations similar to that of DMS reduced DMS degradation rates. This indicates that the methanogens in freshwater sediments, which degrade DMS, are also consumers of methanol and MT. To verify whether a competition between sulfate-reducing and methanogenic bacteria for DMS or MT takes place in sulfate-rich freshwater systems, the effects of sulfate and inhibitors, like bromoethanesulfonic acid, molybdate, and tungstate, on the degradation of MT and DMS were studied. The results for these sulfate-rich and sulfate-amended slurry incubations clearly demonstrated that besides methanogens, sulfate-reducing bacteria take part in MT and DMS degradation in freshwater sediments, provided that sulfate is available. The possible involvement of an interspecies hydrogen transfer in these processes is discussed. In general, our study provides evidence for methanogenesis as a major sink for MT and DMS in freshwater sediments.     

Pacific Northwest Marine Sediments Contain Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria in the β Subdivision of the Proteobacteria

The diversity of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in aquatic sediments was studied by retrieving ammonia monooxygenase and methane monooxygenase gene sequences. Methanotrophs dominated freshwater sediments, while β-proteobacterial ammonia oxidizers dominated marine sediments. These results suggest that γ-proteobacteria such as Nitrosococcus oceani are minor members of marine sediment ammonia-oxidizing communities.     

锑矿废水影响下水库沉积物中细菌群落结构特征研究

【背景】水库沉积物中的微生物是水生态系统的重要组成部分,在沉积物物质循环中起重要作用。【目的】揭示含锑废水影响下水库表层沉积物中细菌群落结构特征及影响因子。【方法】基于Illumina高通量测序技术,对冷水沟水库表层沉积物细菌群落结构进行研究并分析其与沉积物理化性质的相关性;基于FAPROTAX软件对细菌功能进行预测分析。基于重金属污染负荷指数法评价水库重金属污染情况。【结果】高通量测序结果表明冷水沟水库的细菌群落较为丰富,主要由变形菌门(Proteobacteria,40.32%-20.19%)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes,25.89%-4.44%)、脱硫杆菌(Desulfobacter,9.43%-2.02%)等81个门570个属组成。相关性分析表明,不同提取形态的锑及水溶态锑与多个不同分类水平下的细菌群落有显著的相关性。FAPROTAX软件对细菌功能进行预测,结果表明,化能异养功能细菌占优势(占总细菌的14.59%-23.58%),包括化能异养(Chemoheterotrophy)和需氧化能异养(Aerobic Chemoheterotrophy);此外,与碳、氮、硫元...     

Assessment of persistent organochlorine compounds contamination on the Lake Victoria water and sediments: a case study in Tanzania

The current study was conducted to establish the levels of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), its degradation products, and indicatory polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in water and sediments from Lake Victoria in Tanzania. Seven indicator PCBs were identified in sediments, and five were identified in water. The PCBs loading ranged from lower than the limit of detection (LOD) to 10.28 µg kg^?1 DW and 0.95 to 2.24 µg l^?1 in sediments and water, respectively. PCBs, CB 138 and CB 153 dominated the load, because of their chemical stability and high degree of chlorination. In addition, ten OCPs were identified in sediments, and seven OCPs were identified in water. The levels of organochlorine compounds in sediments were higher than in water samples, implying that sediments may serve as a sink for these compounds. The presence of these compounds is probably as a result of either historical use, long-range environmental transport or environmental persistence. The levels of organochlorine compounds in the lake water and sediments are below the maximum residue limit set by EU and FAO, except for aldrin and dieldrin. Based on the Threshold Effect Concentration (TEC) for freshwater ecosystems, aldrin and dieldrin are the only OCPs that seem to be a threat to the lake environment.     

九龙江西陂库区沉积物甲藻孢囊的分布

孢囊在甲藻的生活史中发挥重要作用,福建省九龙江从2009年起,暴发多次拟多甲藻水华事件。采用显微镜观察和单细胞PCR技术,对九龙江西陂库区2012—2013年不同月份沉积物中的甲藻孢囊进行种属判定,并对甲藻孢囊的分布及其影响因素进行分析。结果表明,西陂库区沉积物中的甲藻孢囊主要为拟多甲藻属,约占80%,其次为裸甲藻属,发现了2009年水华的优势种佩式拟多甲藻(Peridiniopsis penardii)孢囊。库区沉积物中甲藻孢囊的丰度在(13.7±1.2)—(105.2±8.3)个/g干重之间。多元相关分析结果显示甲藻孢囊的丰度与含水率呈现显著正相关性(P0.05),反映了甲藻孢囊沿水流方向逐渐积累。本研究结果填补了国内水库甲藻孢囊鉴定和萌发的研究空白,为九龙江甲藻水华的防治提供科学参考。     

Development of a quantitative PCR method to explore the historical occurrence of a nuisance microalga under expansion

A number of marine and freshwater harmful algal bloom (HAB) species have colonized new areas and expanded their habitat range in recent years. Nevertheless it is notoriously difficult to establish when colonization first occurred, what the dispersal routes are, and to separate recent invasion from increases in existent but small populations. The freshwater raphidophyte Gonyostomum semen is a nuisance species that has expanded its habitat range and increased in abundance in northern Europe during the past decades. To evaluate to what extent sediments can be used for determining historic occurrence of G. semen, a quantitative real-time PCR method for detecting cysts of this algae was developed. This paper presents a qPCR protocol with a set of primers that are specific to Gonyostomum and with PCR conditions optimized for sediment samples from humic lakes, which are the common habitat of G. semen. With this sensitive method as few as 1.6 cysts per PCR reaction could be reliably quantified, corresponding to 320 cysts per g wet weight sediment. Cysts were present in sediments with ages ranging from years to decades and their persistence allows detection of historic populations up to at least 50 years old. With this qPCR assay it will be possible to trace the presence of G. semen in environments prior to the onset of algae-specific monitoring programs as well as for quantification in water column samples.     

Zooplankton community of Bakreswar reservoir: Assessment and visualization of distribution pattern using self-organizing maps

Self-organizing maps, otherwise known as Kohonen-maps, are one form of unsupervised artificial neural networks that can produce two-dimensional plots from multidimensional data. This tool is especially useful in community pattern analyses and has been previously used in spatial pattern analysis with different perspectives. The present study aims to find zooplankton's community pattern in the Bakreswar reservoir ecosystem. Bakreswar reservoir is a freshwater ecosystem in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, India. The reservoir is primarily used to supply freshwater to the Bakreswar thermal power plant. However, the local villages around the reservoir depend on it for drinking water and fishing sustenance. The data used in this study was collected over two years from three different stations. Thus, in addition to describing the spatial pattern of community distribution of zooplankton groups, the temporal variation was also studied. It is observed in the study that the four major groups of zooplankton – Copepoda, Cladocera, Ostracoda, and Rotifera – react differently to the different environmental attributes. Primarily directed by the physical environmental factors, the effect of the chemical factors on the patterning is also evident from the study. Copepods are the dominant group in the system, closely followed by cladocerans and rotifers. But this observation changes at different stations and throughout the study period. The temperature profiles of the reservoir primarily direct the occurrence of ostracods and rotifers, whereas cladocerans and copepods are inclined more towards a chemical factor directive. Rotifers are dominant in the monsoon, whereas the post-monsoon and winter seasons show an increased presence of copepods and cladocerans. The overall observation that the reservoir's water quality is good, and the trophic structure is healthy is in accordance with previous studies as well.     

Ecotoxicological study of bottom sediments from reservoir 11 of the Techa River cascade

The ecotoxicological properties of sediments from reservoir R-11 of the Techa River cascade are studied in comparison to the Shershni reservoir. Radiochemical analysis of sediment and water samples from R-11 show that the radioactivity of the sediments ranges from 240 to 360 kBq/dm³ dry weight for ⁹⁰Sr and from 10 to 161 kBq/dm³ dry weight for ¹³⁷Cs. The absorbed doses for Oligochaeta from R-11 are calculated on the basis of radiochemical data. The hydrobiological studies include (1) study of the population density and diversity of Oligochaeta species in the reservoirs and (2) laboratory bioassay of sediments with Tubifex tubifex as a biomonitor species. The results indicate that the Oligochaeta population density in R-11 is less than in the Shershni reservoir. No significant effects of the absorbed dose rate on population density, survival rate, or fertility are found in a laboratory Tubificidae bioassay of R-11 sediments. However, a decrease in fertility is noted in experiments at a higher absorbed dose.     

Diversity of sulfur-cycle prokaryotes in freshwater lake sediments investigated using aprA as the functional marker gene

The diversity of sulfate-reducing prokaryotes (SRPs) and sulfur-oxidizing prokaryotes (SOPs) in freshwater lake ecosystems was investigated by cloning and sequencing of the aprA gene, which encodes for a key enzyme in dissimilatory sulfate reduction and sulfur oxidation. To understand their diversity better, the spatial distribution of aprA genes was investigated in sediments collected from six geographically distant lakes in Antarctica and Japan, including a hypersaline lake for comparison. The microbial community compositions of freshwater sediments and a hypersaline sediment showed notable differences. The clones affiliated with Desulfobacteraceae and Desulfobulbaceae were frequently detected in all freshwater lake sediments. The SOP community was mainly composed of four major phylogenetic groups. One of them formed a monophyletic cluster with a sulfur-oxidizing betaproteobacterium, Sulfuricella denitrificans, but the others were not assigned to specific genera. In addition, the AprA sequences, which were not clearly affiliated to either SRP or SOP lineages, dominated the libraries from four freshwater lake sediments. The results showed the wide distribution of some sulfur-cycle prokaryotes across geographical distances and supported the idea that metabolic flexibility is an important feature for SRP survival in low-sulfate environments.     

Trace Element Concentrations in Soil,Sediments, and Waters in the Vicinity of Geita Gold Mines and North Mara Gold Mines in Northwest Tanzania

The “Geita Gold Mine” (GGM) and “North Mara Gold Mines” (NMGM) have developed large quarries in the middle of fertile agricultural lands. Possible hazardous impact on the natural recourse has warranted a study on the trace element concentrations in soils, sediments, and natural waters. Generally, the study shows a great variation in type of elements and intensity of their spill to soils, sediments, and waters. We found indications of acid mine drainage (AMD) of trace metals near the GGM waste rock tailings, but the data are inconclusive. The environmental impact at NMGM was, on the other hand, more extensive. Severe trace element contamination of sediments and waters near one of the mining facilities managed by NMGM is connected to an accidental acid spill in 2009. However, we found strong indication that, in addition to the accident, leakage of alkaline wastewater into surface soils and free water took place from a large wastewater reservoir. We found very high concentrations, especially of As in sediments and water samples downside this reservoir. Water from several sites contained As concentration in the free water at more than one order of magnitude higher than the WHO drinking water recommendations. The chemical speciation of water samples indicated high fraction of Free Ion Activity (FIA) in several samples and the change in pH had a significant impact on the FIA. Due to extensive alkaline and acidic runoff from these sites, more information about hydrological transport routes and the chemical speciation of the free water is of great importance for assessing potential risk of these mines.     

Next-Generation Sequencing of Microbial Communities in the Athabasca River and Its Tributaries in Relation to Oil Sands Mining Activities

The Athabasca oil sands deposit is the largest reservoir of crude bitumen in the world. Recently, the soaring demand for oil and the availability of modern bitumen extraction technology have heightened exploitation of this reservoir and the potential unintended consequences of pollution in the Athabasca River. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the potential impacts of oil sands mining on neighboring aquatic microbial community structure. Microbial communities were sampled from sediments in the Athabasca River and its tributaries as well as in oil sands tailings ponds. Bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes were amplified and sequenced using next-generation sequencing technology (454 and Ion Torrent). Sediments were also analyzed for a variety of chemical and physical characteristics. Microbial communities in the fine tailings of the tailings ponds were strikingly distinct from those in the Athabasca River and tributary sediments. Microbial communities in sediments taken close to tailings ponds were more similar to those in the fine tailings of the tailings ponds than to the ones from sediments further away. Additionally, bacterial diversity was significantly lower in tailings pond sediments. Several taxonomic groups of Bacteria and Archaea showed significant correlations with the concentrations of different contaminants, highlighting their potential as bioindicators. We also extensively validated Ion Torrent sequencing in the context of environmental studies by comparing Ion Torrent and 454 data sets and by analyzing control samples.