Biological responses of midge (Chironomus riparius) and lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis) larvae in ecotoxicity assessment of PCDD/F-, PCB- and Hg-contaminated river sediments

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 23; no. 18; pp. 18379 - 18393
• Main Authors: Salmelin, J., Karjalainen, A. K., Hämäläinen, H., Leppänen, M. T., Kiviranta, H., Kukkonen, J. V. K., Vuori, K. M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.09.2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bioassays; Biological magnification; Chemicals; Chironomidae; Chironomus riparius; Contaminated sediments; Dioxins; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Fluvial sediments; Food chains; Food contamination & poisoning; Food webs; Fourier transforms; Geologic Sediments - analysis; Health risks; Humans; Indicator organisms; Industrial pollution; Laboratories; Lampetra fluviatilis; Lampreys; Larva - drug effects; Larvae; Mercury; Mercury - analysis; Mercury - toxicity; Mortality; PCB; Petromyzontidae; Pollutants; Pollution; Pollution levels; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - analysis; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - toxicity; Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins; Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins - analysis; Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins - toxicity; Predation; Research Article; Risk assessment; River mouth; Rivers; Sediment pollution; Sediment samplers; Studies; Toxicity; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water pollution; Water Pollution Control; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Behaviour; dioxins and dibenzofurans; Sediment toxicity; Mercury; Polychlorinated dibenzo; Chironomus riparius; Lampetra fluviatilis; Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7014-5

We evaluated the utility of chironomid and lamprey larval responses in ecotoxicity assessment of polychlorinated dibenzo- p -dioxins, dibenzofurans (PCDD/F)-, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)- and mercury (Hg)-contaminated river sediments. Sediment samples were collected from the River Kymijoki with a known industrial pollution gradient. Sediment for the controls and lamprey larvae were obtained from an uncontaminated river nearby. Contamination levels were verified with sediment and tissue PCDD/F, PCB and Hg analyses. Behaviour of sediment-exposed chironomid and lamprey larvae were measured with Multispecies Freshwater Biomonitor© utilizing quadrupole impedance conversion technique. In addition, mortality, growth and head capsule deformity incidence of chironomids were used as ecotoxicity indicators. WHO PCDD/F+PCB -TEQ in the R. Kymijoki sediments ranged from the highest upstream 22.36 ng g −1 dw to the lowest 1.50 ng g −1 near the river mouth. The sum of PCDD/Fs and PCBs correlated strongly with Hg sediment concentrations, which ranged from <0.01 to 1.15 μg g −1 . Lamprey tissue concentrations of PCDD/Fs were two orders and PCBs one order of magnitude higher in the R. Kymijoki compared to the reference. Chironomid growth decreased in contaminated sediments and was negatively related to sediment ∑PCDD/Fs, WHO PCDD/F+PCB -TEQ and Hg. There were no significant differences in larval mortality or chironomid mentum deformity incidence between the sediment exposures. The distinct behavioural patterns of both species indicate overall applicability of behavioural MFB measurements of these species in sediment toxicity bioassays. Chironomids spent less and lampreys more time in locomotion in the most contaminated sediment compared to the reference, albeit statistically significant differences were not detected. Lamprey larvae had also a greater activity range in some of the contaminated sediments than in the reference. High pollutant levels in lamprey indicate risks for biomagnification in the food webs, with potential health risks to humans consuming fish.