An overview of toxicant identification in sediments and dredged materials

The identification of toxicants affecting aquatic benthic systems is critical to sound assessment and management of our nation's waterways. Identification of toxicants can be useful in designing effective sediment remediation plans and reasonable options for sediment disposal. Knowledge of which contaminants affect benthic systems allows managers to link pollution to specific dischargers and prevent further release of toxicant(s). In addition, identification of major causes of toxicity in sediments may guide programs such as those developing environmental sediment guidelines and registering pesticides, while knowledge of the causes of toxicity which drive ecological changes such as shifts in benthic community structure would be useful in performing ecological risk assessments. To this end, the US Environmental Protection Agency has developed tools (toxicity identification and evaluation (TIE) methods) that allow investigators to characterize and identify chemicals causing acute toxicity in sediments and dredged materials. To date, most sediment TIEs have been performed on interstitial waters. Preliminary evidence from the use of interstitial water TIEs reveals certain patterns in causes of sediment toxicity. First, among all sediments tested, there is no one predominant cause of toxicity; metals, organics, and ammonia play approximately equal roles in causing toxicity. Second, within a single sediment there are multiple causes of toxicity detected; not just one chemical class is active. Third, the role of ammonia is very prominent in these interstitial waters. Finally, if sediments are divided into marine or freshwater, TIEs perforMed on interstitial waters from freshwater sediments indicate a variety of toxicants in fairly equal proportions, while TIEs performed on interstitial waters from marine sediments have identified only ammonia and organics as toxicants, with metals playing a minor role. Preliminary evidence from whole sediment TIEs indicates that organic compounds play a major role in the toxicity of marine sediments, with almost no evidence for either metal or ammonia toxicity. However, interpretation of these results may be skewed because only a small number of interstitial water (n = 13) and whole sediment (n = 5) TIEs have been completed. These trends may change as more data are collected.     

砂粒粒径与砂层厚度对单体筐养养殖系统中三疣梭子蟹(Portunus trituberculatus)幼蟹摄食行为与生长特性的影响研究

建立了以经过遗传改造的发光细菌Acinetobacter sp. RecA为受试物种的环境污染物遗传毒性快速检测方法,该方法最快可在3h内得到毒性评价结果。采用该方法评价了环渤海排污口12份污水样品的遗传毒性。环渤海12个排污口的污水样品均表现出了不同水平的遗传毒性,并呈现出一定的分布特征。其中,高毒水质集中出现在山东半岛污水样品中,中毒水质集中出现在辽东半岛地区,而低毒水质主要集中于京津冀地区。综上,在环渤海的污水样品遗传毒性检测中,这种新型发光细菌法具有快速、灵敏、简便等优点,为以后近海环境的水质生物毒性检测提供了参考依据,具有应用于近海环境水质快速监测与评价的潜力。     

Comparison of the acid-base responses to CO2 and acidification in Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

To investigate whether the biological toxicity of aquatic hypercapnia is due to the direct effects of CO2 or to the effects of acidification of seawater by CO2, the Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) was subjected to seawater equilibrated with a gas mixture of air containing 5% CO2 (pH 6.18) or seawater acidified to the same pH with 1 N H2SO4. All the fish died within 72 h in the CO2 exposure group, whereas no mortality occurred in the acid group. Acid-base parameters as well as plasma ion concentrations were severely perturbed in the CO2 exposure group, whereas they were minimally affected in the acid group. These results clearly demonstrate that the mortality in the CO2 group is a direct result of the elevated levels of dissolved CO2 and not to the effects of the reduced water pH.     

裙带菜配子体对三种重金属离子毒性耐受力的研究

裙带菜于１９９４年采自威海市俚岛养殖场。１９９５年２月－１９９７年３月,用不同浓度（０,１,１０,１００,１０００μｍｏｌ／Ｌ）的Ｃｕ＾２＋,Ｃｄ＾２＋和Ｚｎ＾２＋处理裙带菜配子体,研究这些重金属对其生长和代谢的影响。结果表明,Ｃｕ＾２＋对裙带菜配子体生长的抑制效应最强：在１μｍｏｌ＋Ｌ时已出现抑制效应,叶绿素含量和光合作用速率明显下降,脯氨酸和丙二醛含量升高;１０μｍｏｌ／Ｌ时,配子体生长几乎停     

锦州湾沾污沉积物急性毒性的海洋端足类检验

１９９２年９月￣１９９３年１月对锦州湾沾污沉积物的海洋端足类急性毒性效应进行了研究。从锦州湾湾顶到湾口沿西南－－东北方向每２ｋｍ等距离采集２７个表层沉积我校 品,应用海洋端足类Ａ ｍｐｅｌｉｓｃａ ａｂｄｉｔａ对这些样品进行了１０ｄ直流式急性毒性检验,检验指标为死亡率。结果表明,五里河河口处受试生物死亡率最高,为１００％,从湾顶该河口处沿东北方向随着距离增加,死亡率逐渐递减,笔架山处最低,仅为２．     

TBT toxicity on the marine microalga Nannochloropsis oculata

Commercial antifouling formulations containing TBT are the major source of organotin contamination in coastal waters. In view of the persisting TBT residues (13 ng Sn l⁻¹) in the coastal waters of South Korea, an attempt has been made to evaluate the growth response and biochemical composition of laboratory-cultured Nannochloropsis oculata to TBT toxicity. It is evident that the persisting concentration level of TBT is high enough to cause adverse effect on the microalgal species. The EC₅₀ (24 h) was found to be at 0.89 nM level of TBT for this marine eustigmatophyte N. oculata. Photosynthetic pigment content was significantly affected. At elevated TBT concentrations of 1.0 nM, especially pronounced changes in biochemical composition was found. TBT tolerance of N. oculata and its growth as well as biochemical responses are discussed.     

Sensitive Ion‐Flotation Separation of Ag(I) Traces Using 2‐(2‐Methoxyphenyl)benzimidazole before Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometric Determination in Water

A sensitive, reliable, and environmentally friendly method for simple separation and preconcentration of Ag(I) traces in aqueous samples is presented prior to their flame atomic absorption spectrometric determinations. At pH 7.0, Ag(I) was separated with 2‐(2‐methoxyphenyl)benzimidazole (MPBI) as a new complexing agent and floated after adding sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as a foaming reagent. The floated layer was then dissolved in proper amount of concentrated nitric acid in methanol and introduced to the flame atomic absorption spectrometer (FAAS). The effects of pH, concentration of MPBI, type and amount of surfactant as the floating agent, type and amount of eluting agent, and influence of foreign ions on the recovery of the analyte ion were investigated. Also, using a nonlinear curve fitting method, the formation constant of 1.62 × 10⁶ was obtained for Ag(I)–MPBI complex. The analytical curve was linear in the range of 1.8 × 10^?7–1.7 × 10^?6 mol/L for determination of Ag(I). The relative standard deviation (RSD; N = 10) corresponding to 0.7 × 10^?6 mol/L of Ag(I), the limit of detection (10 blanks), and the enrichment factor were obtained as 1.7%, 2.9 × 10^?8 mol/L, and 43.0, respectively. The proposed procedure was then applied successfully for determination of silver ions in different water samples.     

Bioavailability and toxicity of aluminium in a model planktonic food chain (Chlamydomonas-Daphnia) at neutral pH

Dissolved aluminium (Al) is generally at low concentrations in neutral freshwater due to its insolubility. However, a fall in pH resulting from acid deposition and mining alters the mobility of Al and so entry to adjacent neutral waters. The present study examines the environmental behaviour, cell-associated surface adsorption/absorption and toxicity of Al at neutral pH to the alga Chlamydomonas gigantea in the presence and absence of the key Al-binding ligand silica. We then examined transfer of Al from C. gigantea to the planktonic crustacean Daphnia pulex. Finally, the effect of Al on the elemental composition (and hence nutritional value) of the two organisms was compared to unexposed controls. C. gigantea increased the amount of Al in the algal culture medium. Binding of Al to extracellular glycoprotein is probably the reason why only one-third of the biosorbed Al was absorbed (accumulated) by C. gigantea. Aluminium concentrations between 50 and 500 μg l⁻¹ reduced growth of C. gigantea at 16 days exposure to the metal. Silica reduced biosorption, accumulation and toxicity of Al by C. gigantea. The concentration of Al in D. pulex fed Al-contaminated C. gigantea for 16 days did not differ from those fed alga grown in the absence of added Al. C. gigantea contaminated with Al contained less sulphur, magnesium, potassium and sodium although only sulphur fell in D. pulex subsequently fed the contaminated alga. Chloride, calcium, iron and silicon were significantly higher in D. pulex.