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Wieringa N, Droge STJ, Ter Laak TL, Nair AAK, Walker K, Verdonschot PFM, Kraak MHS. Combining Passive Sampling and Dosing to Unravel the Contribution of Hydrophobic Organic Contaminants to Sediment Ecotoxicity. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:269-279. [PMID: 38153417 PMCID: PMC10785821 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c07807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Contaminated sediments are ubiquitous repositories of pollutants and cause substantial environmental risks. Results of sediment bioassays remain difficult to interpret, however, as observed effects may be caused by a variety of (un)known stressors. This study aimed therefore to isolate the effects of hydrophobic organic contaminants from other (non)chemical stressors present in contaminated sediments, by employing a newly developed passive sampling-passive dosing (PSPD) test. The results showed that equilibrium partitioning between pesticides or polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in contaminated sediments and a silicone rubber (SR) passive sampler was achieved after 1-3 days. Chlorpyrifos concentrations in pore water of spiked sediment matched very well with concentrations released from the SR into an aqueous test medium, showing that SR can serve as a passive dosing device. Subjecting the 96 h PSPD laboratory bioassay with nonbiting midge (Chironomus riparius) larvae to field-collected sediments showed that at two locations, concentrations of the hydrophobic organic contaminant mixtures were high enough to affect the test organisms. In conclusion, the developed PSPD test was able to isolate the effects of hydrophobic organic contaminants and provides a promising simplified building block for a suite of PSPD tests that after further validation could be used to unravel the contribution of hydrophobic organic chemicals to sediment ecotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nienke Wieringa
- Department
of Freshwater and Marine Ecology (FAME), Institute for Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University
of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Steven T. J. Droge
- Department
of Freshwater and Marine Ecology (FAME), Institute for Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University
of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Wageningen
Environmental Research, Wageningen University
and Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas L. Ter Laak
- Department
of Freshwater and Marine Ecology (FAME), Institute for Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University
of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- KWR
Water Research Institute, Groningenhaven 7, 3433 PE Nieuwegein, The Netherlands
| | - Aishwarya A. K. Nair
- Department
of Freshwater and Marine Ecology (FAME), Institute for Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University
of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kelsey Walker
- Department
of Freshwater and Marine Ecology (FAME), Institute for Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University
of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Piet F. M. Verdonschot
- Department
of Freshwater and Marine Ecology (FAME), Institute for Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University
of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Wageningen
Environmental Research, Wageningen University
and Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Michiel H. S. Kraak
- Department
of Freshwater and Marine Ecology (FAME), Institute for Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University
of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Lee J, Hong S, An SA, Khim JS. Methodological advances and future directions of microalgal bioassays for evaluation of potential toxicity in environmental samples: A review. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 173:107869. [PMID: 36905773 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Microalgal bioassays are widely applied to evaluate the potential toxicity of various persistent toxic substances in environmental samples due to multiple advantages, including high sensitivity, short test duration, and cost-effectiveness. Microalgal bioassay is gradually developing in method, and the scope of application to environmental samples is also expanding. Here, we reviewed the published literature on microalgal bioassays for environmental assessments, focusing on types of samples, sample preparation methods, and endpoints, and highlighted key scientific advancements. Bibliographic analysis was performed with the keywords 'microalgae' and 'toxicity' or 'bioassay', and 'microalgal toxicity'; 89 research articles were selected and reviewed. Traditionally, most studies implementing microalgal bioassays focused on water samples (44%) with passive samplers (38%). Studies using the direct exposure method (41%) of injecting microalgae into sampled water mainly evaluated toxic effects by growth inhibition (63%). Recently, various automated sampling techniques, in situ bioanalytical methods with multiple endpoints, and targeted and non-targeted chemical analyses have been applied. More research is needed to identify causative toxicants affecting microalgae and to quantify the cause-effect relationships. This study provides the first comprehensive overview of recent advances in microalgal bioassays performed with environmental samples, suggesting future research directions based on current understanding and limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junghyun Lee
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences & Research Institute of Oceanography, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Seongjin Hong
- Department of Marine Environmental Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea.
| | - Seong-Ah An
- Department of Marine Environmental Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong Seong Khim
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences & Research Institute of Oceanography, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
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Moeris S, Vanryckeghem F, Demeestere K, De Schamphelaere KAC. A margin of safety approach for the assessment of environmentally realistic chemical mixtures in the marine environment based on combined passive sampling and ecotoxicity testing. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 765:142748. [PMID: 33160665 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Organisms in the marine environment are being exposed to an increasing variety of chemicals. This research presents an effect-based monitoring method for the derivation of a margin of safety for environmentally realistic chemical mixtures. The method is based on a combination of passive sampling and ecotoxicity testing. First, passive sampling was performed using H2O-philic divinylbenzene Speedisks during 3 sampling campaigns between 2016 and 2018 at 4 sampling locations in the Belgian part of the North Sea. Next, we exposed the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum to Speedisk extracts that were reconstituted in HPLC-grade water and defined the MoS of each sample as the highest no-observed effect concentration, expressed as relative enrichment factor (REF). A REF was defined by comparing the concentrations of 89 personal care products, pesticides and pharmaceuticals in the biotest medium with those measured in water grab samples to relate exposure concentrations in the tests to environmental concentrations. Across eight marine samples, diatom growth inhibition was observed at REF ≥ 3.2 and margins of safety were found between REF 1.1-11.0. In addition, we found that reconstitution of extracts in HPLC-water was suitable to overcome the solvent-related challenges in biotesting that are usually associated with passive sampler extract spiking, whilst it still allowed REFs up to 44 in the biotest medium to be achieved. This method, however, likely covers mainly the polar fraction of environmentally realistic chemical mixtures and less the non-polar fraction. Nevertheless, for 5 out of 8 samples, the Margin of Safety (MoS) was found to be lower than 10, which represents the typically lowest possible assessment factor applied to no effects ecotoxicological data in conventional environmental risk assessments, suggesting ecological risks for these samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Moeris
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Environmental Toxicology Unit (GhEnToxLab), Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Francis Vanryckeghem
- Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Research Group Environmental Organic Chemistry and Technology (EnVOC), Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kristof Demeestere
- Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Research Group Environmental Organic Chemistry and Technology (EnVOC), Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Karel A C De Schamphelaere
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Environmental Toxicology Unit (GhEnToxLab), Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent, Belgium
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Deschutter Y, De Schamphelaere K, Everaert G, Mensens C, De Troch M. Seasonal and spatial fatty acid profiling of the calanoid copepods Temora longicornis and Acartia clausi linked to environmental stressors in the North Sea. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 144:92-101. [PMID: 30638843 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Revised: 12/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The Belgian part of the North Sea (BPNS) is subjected to multiple environmental stressors. The impact of these stressors includes the modulation of fatty acid (FA) composition of the zooplankton. This study recorded temporal and spatial patterns of the FA profiles of two dominant calanoid copepods within the BPNS: Temora longicornis (Müller, 1785) and Acartia clausi (Giesbrecht, 1889). By means of distance-based linear modelling and by applying multi model inference to generalized additive models, environmental stressors were linked to patterns of the FA profiles of these species. The FA profiles of A. clausi and T. longicornis showed distinct intraspecific, spatial and temporal differences within the BPNS. Temperature and algal food quality (marked by the ratio of silicate concentration to dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentration, SiO4/DIN) were the most important drivers of seasonal fluctuations in the DHA/EPA ratio of both species. DHA/EPA ratio can be used as marker for stress in copepods in the BPNS in order to have a quick indication of food quality changes at the basis of the food web.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yana Deschutter
- Ghent University, Marine Biology, Krijgslaan 281-S8, 9000, Ghent, Belgium; Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Coupure Links 653, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Karel De Schamphelaere
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Coupure Links 653, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gert Everaert
- Flanders Marine Institute, Wandelaarkaai 7, B-8400, Ostend, Belgium
| | - Christoph Mensens
- Ghent University, Marine Biology, Krijgslaan 281-S8, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marleen De Troch
- Ghent University, Marine Biology, Krijgslaan 281-S8, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
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Deschutter Y, Everaert G, De Schamphelaere K, De Troch M. Relative contribution of multiple stressors on copepod density and diversity dynamics in the Belgian part of the North Sea. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2017; 125:350-359. [PMID: 28958440 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.09.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Revised: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The effect of multiple stressors on marine ecosystems is poorly understood. To partially bridge this knowledge gap we investigated the relative contribution of environmental variables to density and diversity dynamics of the zooplankton community in the Belgian part of the North Sea. We applied multimodel inference on generalized additive models to quantify the relative contribution of chlorophyll a, temperature, nutrients, salinity and anthropogenic chemicals (i.e. polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) to the dynamics of calanoid copepod species in the Belgian part of the North Sea. Temperature was the only predictor consistently showing a high importance in all models predicting the abundances of the selected copepod species. The relative contribution of other predictors was species-dependent. Anthropogenic chemicals were important predictors for three out of six species indicating that chemical mixtures at low concentrations should not be left unattended when performing risk assessments in a natural environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yana Deschutter
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; Ghent University, Marine Biology, Krijgslaan 281 - S8, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Gert Everaert
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Wandelaarkaai 7, B-8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Karel De Schamphelaere
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marleen De Troch
- Ghent University, Marine Biology, Krijgslaan 281 - S8, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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Mustajärvi L, Eriksson-Wiklund AK, Gorokhova E, Jahnke A, Sobek A. Transferring mixtures of chemicals from sediment to a bioassay using silicone-based passive sampling and dosing. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2017; 19:1404-1413. [PMID: 29022620 DOI: 10.1039/c7em00228a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Environmental mixtures of chemicals consist of a countless number of compounds with unknown identity and quantity. Yet, chemical regulation is mainly built around the assessment of single chemicals. Existing frameworks for assessing the toxicity of mixtures require that both the chemical composition and quantity are known. Quantitative analyses of the chemical composition of environmental mixtures are however extremely challenging and resource-demanding. Bioassays may therefore serve as a useful approach for investigating the combined toxicity of environmental mixtures of chemicals in a cost-efficient and holistic manner. In this study, an unknown environmental mixture of bioavailable semi-hydrophobic to hydrophobic chemicals was sampled from a contaminated sediment in a coastal Baltic Sea area using silicone polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as an equilibrium passive sampler. The chemical mixture was transferred to a PDMS-based passive dosing system, and its applicability was demonstrated using green algae Tetraselmis suecica in a cell viability assay. The proportion of dead cells increased significantly with increasing exposure level and in a dose-response manner. At an ambient concentration, the proportion of dead cells in the population was nearly doubled compared to the control; however, the difference was non-significant due to high inter-replicate variability and a low number of replicates. The validation of the test system regarding equilibrium sampling, loading efficiency into the passive dosing polymer, stability of the mixture composition, and low algal mortality in control treatments demonstrates that combining equilibrium passive sampling and passive dosing is a promising tool for investigating the toxicity of bioavailable semi-hydrophobic and hydrophobic chemicals in complex environmental mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Mustajärvi
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), Stockholm University, Sweden.
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Ribbenstedt A, Mustajärvi L, Breitholtz M, Gorokhova E, Mayer P, Sobek A. Passive dosing of triclosan in multigeneration tests with copepods - stable exposure concentrations and effects at the low μg/L range. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2017; 36:1254-1260. [PMID: 27731510 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Revised: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Ecotoxicity testing is a crucial component of chemical risk assessment. Still, due to methodological difficulties related to controlling exposure concentrations over time, data on long-term effects of organic chemicals at low concentrations are limited. The aim of the present study was, therefore, to test the applicability of passive dosing to maintain stable concentrations of the organochlorine bacteriocide triclosan in the water phase during a 6-wk multigeneration population development test with the harpacticoid copepod Nitocra spinipes. Triclosan was loaded into silicone (1000 mg), which was used as passive dosing phase in the exposure vials. The distribution ratio for triclosan between silicone and water (Dsilicone-water ) was 10466 ± 1927. A population development test was conducted at 3 concentration levels of triclosan that were measured to be 3 μg/L to 5 μg/L, 7 μg/L to 11 μg/L and 16 μg/L to 26 μg/L. The results demonstrate that passive dosing is applicable for long-term ecotoxicity testing of organic chemicals, including during significant growth of the test organism population. Shifts in the demographic structure of the population during exposure suggest the most severe effects were exerted on juvenile development. Progressively lower development index values in the populations exposed to increasing triclosan concentrations suggest developmental retardation. The results further stress the need for chronic exposure during ecotoxicity testing in chemical risk assessment because even the most sensitive endpoint was not significant until after 7 d of exposure. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1254-1260. © 2016 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Ribbenstedt
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lukas Mustajärvi
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Magnus Breitholtz
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elena Gorokhova
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Philipp Mayer
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Anna Sobek
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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Jiang S, Huang J, Lu H, Liu J, Yan C. Optimisation for assay of fluorescein diacetate hydrolytic activity as a sensitive tool to evaluate impacts of pollutants and nutrients on microbial activity in coastal sediments. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2016; 110:424-431. [PMID: 27315754 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.06.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2016] [Revised: 06/04/2016] [Accepted: 06/08/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescein diacetate (FDA) assay has been widely applied in coastal research to quantify microbial activity in sediments. However, the present FDA assay procedures embodied in sediment studies potentially include operational errors since the protocol was established for studies of terrestrial soil. In the present study, we optimised the procedure of FDA assay using sandy and cohesive sediments to improve experiential sensitivity and reproducibility. The optimised method describes quantitative measurement of the fluorescein produced when 1.0g of fresh sediment is incubated with 50mM phosphate buffer solution (pH: 7.3) and glass beads (2g) at 35°C for 1h under a rotation of 50rpm. The covariation coefficient of the optimised method ranged from 1.9% to 3.8% and the method sensitivity ranged from 0.25 to 1.57. The improved protocol provides a more reliable measurement of the FDA hydrolysis rate over a wide range of sediments compared to the original method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Jiang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, Xiamen University, 361005, China
| | - Jing Huang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, Xiamen University, 361005, China
| | - Haoliang Lu
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, Xiamen University, 361005, China
| | - JingChun Liu
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, Xiamen University, 361005, China
| | - Chongling Yan
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, Xiamen University, 361005, China.
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