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Gillmore ML, Price GAV, Golding LA, Stauber JL, Adams MS, Simpson SL, Smith REW, Jolley DF. The Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films Technique Predicts Sediment Nickel Toxicity to the Amphipod Melita plumulosa. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2021; 40:1266-1278. [PMID: 33348464 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The geographical shift of nickel mining to small island countries of the Southeast Asia and Melanesia region has produced a need to assess the environmental risk associated with increased sediment nickel exposure to benthic estuarine/marine biota. Chemical measurements of nickel concentration and potential bioavailability, including the use of diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT), were compared to effects on 10-d reproduction of the epibenthic estuarine/marine amphipod Melita plumulosa in nickel-spiked sediments and field-contaminated sediments with different characteristics. The 10% effect concentrations (EC10s) for amphipod reproduction ranged from 280 to 690 mg/kg total recoverable nickel, from 110 to 380 mg/kg dilute acid-extractable nickel, and from 34 to 87 μg Ni/m2 /h DGT-labile nickel flux. Nickel bioavailability was lower in sediments with greater total organic carbon, clay content, and percentage of fine particles. Measurements of DGT-labile nickel flux at the sediment-water interface integrated exposure to nickel from porewater, overlying water, and ingested sediment exposure pathways and were found to have the strongest relationship with the biological response. At most, there was a 29% reduction in 10-d M. plumulosa reproduction relative to the control when exposed to nickel from field-contaminated sediments collected from nickel laterite mining regions of New Caledonia. The DGT technique can be used as a complementary tool to measure the bioavailability of nickel in estuarine/marine sediments, especially sediments that are in nickel laterite mining regions where there are no or few toxicity data available for determining biological effects on local species. Based on the combined data set of the 3 nickel-spiked sediments a DGT-labile nickel EC10 threshold of 50 (30-69) μg Ni/m2 /h was determined. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:1266-1278. © 2020 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Gillmore
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
- CSIRO Land and Water, Lucas Heights, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Gwilym A V Price
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
- CSIRO Land and Water, Lucas Heights, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lisa A Golding
- CSIRO Land and Water, Lucas Heights, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jenny L Stauber
- CSIRO Land and Water, Lucas Heights, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Merrin S Adams
- CSIRO Land and Water, Lucas Heights, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | | | - Dianne F Jolley
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
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Gillmore ML, Gissi F, Golding LA, Stauber JL, Reichelt-Brushett AJ, Severati A, Humphrey CA, Jolley DF. Effects of dissolved nickel and nickel-contaminated suspended sediment on the scleractinian coral, Acropora muricata. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 152:110886. [PMID: 32479277 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.110886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Intensification of lateritic nickel mining in Southeast Asia and Melanesia potentially threatens coastal ecosystems from increased exposure to nickel and suspended sediment. This study investigated the response of Acropora muricata when exposed to either dissolved nickel, clean suspended sediment or nickel-contaminated suspended sediment for 7 days, followed by a 7-d recovery period. Significant bleaching and accumulation of nickel in coral tissue was observed only after exposure to high dissolved nickel concentrations and nickel-spiked suspended sediment. No effect on A. muricata was observed from exposure to a particulate-bound nickel concentration of 60 mg/kg acid-extractable nickel at a suspended sediment concentration of 30 mg/L TSS. This study demonstrates that bioavailability of nickel associated with suspended sediment exposure plays a key role in influencing nickel toxicity to corals. These findings assist in assessments of risk posed by increasing nickel mining activities on tropical marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Gillmore
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; CSIRO Land and Water, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia.
| | - Francesca Gissi
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia
| | - Lisa A Golding
- CSIRO Land and Water, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia
| | | | - Amanda J Reichelt-Brushett
- Marine Ecology Research Centre, School of Environment Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia
| | - Andrea Severati
- National Sea Simulator, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia
| | - Craig A Humphrey
- National Sea Simulator, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia
| | - Dianne F Jolley
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
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Zhang Y, Yang J, Simpson SL, Wang Y, Zhu L. Application of diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) and simultaneously extracted metals (SEM) for evaluating bioavailability of metal contaminants in the sediments of Taihu Lake, China. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2019; 184:109627. [PMID: 31509782 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.109627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The toxicities of heavy metals in sediments are related to their bioavailability, which is critical for deriving reliable sediment quality guidelines. To evaluate the bioavailability of the metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn), sediments were collected from Taihu Lake, one of the largest and most important freshwater lakes in China. Concentrations of simultaneously extracted metals (1-M HCl extraction, CSEM) in the sediments, metals released from sediment to pore waters and accumulated by diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT, CDGT), and dissolved metals in the overlying water (COLW) were measured separately. Sediment toxicity was assessed with tubificids (Monopylephorus limosus) and chironomids (Chironomus kiiensis and Chironomus tentans). Significant relationships existed between the total metal concentrations and CSEM, CDGT, and COLW measurements (r2 = 0.43-0.95, n = 27, p < 0.001), with stronger relationships with CSEM (r2 = 0.91-0.95) than CDGT (r2 = 0.56-0.85) and COLW (r2 = 0.43-0.71). Risk quotients were derived by dividing CSEM by sediment quality guideline values (SQGVs), and by dividing both CDGT and COLW by water quality criteria (WQC). Toxicity of the sediments to the three species was better explained by the CSEM-based risk quotient than those derived from CDGT and COLW. The study indicated that DGT piston probes deployed face down in sediments did not accumulate metals in proportion to the bioavailable metal fraction that caused toxicity to these freshwater benthic organisms, and that single measurements of metals in overlying waters are not adequate for predicting risks of toxicity from sediments. The measurement of CSEM was determined to be effective for assessing the risk posed by the metals in the Taihu Lake sediments, but offered limited improvement over measurement of total metal concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfeng Zhang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Remediation & Pollution Control for Urban Ecological Environment, Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria of Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Jinxi Yang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Remediation & Pollution Control for Urban Ecological Environment, Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria of Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Stuart L Simpson
- Environment Contaminant Mitigation & Biotechnology, CSIRO Land and Water, Lucas Heights, NSW, 2234, Australia
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Remediation & Pollution Control for Urban Ecological Environment, Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria of Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Lingyan Zhu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Remediation & Pollution Control for Urban Ecological Environment, Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria of Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China.
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Burton GA, Hudson ML, Huntsman P, Carbonaro RF, Rader KJ, Waeterschoot H, Baken S, Garman E. Weight-of-Evidence Approach for Assessing Removal of Metals from the Water Column for Chronic Environmental Hazard Classification. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2019; 38:1839-1849. [PMID: 31099932 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 03/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The United Nations and the European Union have developed guidelines for the assessment of long-term (chronic) chemical environmental hazards. This approach recognizes that these hazards are often related to spillage of chemicals into freshwater environments. The goal of the present study was to examine the concept of metal ion removal from the water column in the context of hazard assessment and classification. We propose a weight-of-evidence approach that assesses several aspects of metals including the intrinsic properties of metals, the rate at which metals bind to particles in the water column and settle, the transformation of metals to nonavailable and nontoxic forms, and the potential for remobilization of metals from sediment. We developed a test method to quantify metal removal in aqueous systems: the extended transformation/dissolution protocol (T/DP-E). The method is based on that of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The key element of the protocol extension is the addition of substrate particles (as found in nature), allowing the removal processes to occur. The present study focused on extending this test to support the assessment of metal removal from aqueous systems, equivalent to the concept of "degradability" for organic chemicals. Although the technical aspects of our proposed method are different from the OECD method for organics, its use for hazard classification is equivalent. Models were developed providing mechanistic insight into processes occurring during the T/DP-E method. Some metals, such as copper, rapidly decreased (within 96 h) under the 70% threshold criterion, whereas others, such as strontium, did not. A variety of method variables were evaluated and optimized to allow for a reproducible, realistic hazard classification method that mimics reasonable worst-case scenarios. We propose that this method be standardized for OECD hazard classification via round robin (ring) testing to ascertain its intra- and interlaboratory variability. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:1839-1849. © 2019 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Allen Burton
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Michelle L Hudson
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Richard F Carbonaro
- Chemical Engineering Department, Manhattan College, Riverdale, New York, USA
- Mutch Associates, Ramsey, New Jersey, USA
| | | | | | - Stijn Baken
- European Copper Institute, Brussels, Belgium
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Costello DM, Harrison AM, Hammerschmidt CR, Mendonca RM, Burton GA. Hitting Reset on Sediment Toxicity: Sediment Homogenization Alters the Toxicity of Metal-Amended Sediments. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2019; 38:1995-2007. [PMID: 31397935 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Revised: 04/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Laboratory testing of sediments frequently involves manipulation by amendment with contaminants and homogenization, which changes the physicochemical structure of sediments. These changes can influence the bioavailability of divalent metals, and field and mesocosm experiments have shown that laboratory-derived thresholds are often overly conservative. We assessed the mechanisms that lead to divergence between laboratory- and field-derived thresholds; specifically, we assessed the importance of slow equilibration to solid-phase ligands and vertical stratification. To mimic natural physicochemical conditions, we uniquely aged sediment with a flow-through exposure system. These sediments were then homogenized and compared, toxicologically, with freshly metal-amended sediments in a 28-d chronic toxicity bioassay with the amphipod Hyalella azteca. We assessed concentration-response relationships for 3 metals (copper, nickel, and zinc) and 5 geochemically distinct sediments. We observed minimal differences in growth and survival of H. azteca between aged and freshly spiked sediments across all sediments and metals. These trends suggest that a loss of toxicity observed during long-term sediment aging is reversed after sediment homogenization. By comparison with mesocosm experiments, we demonstrate that homogenizing sediment immediately before toxicity assays may produce artificially high toxicity thresholds. We suggest that toxicity assays with sediments that maintain vertical redox gradients are needed to generate field-relevant sediment metal toxicity thresholds. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:1995-2007. © 2019 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Costello
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, USA
| | - Anna M Harrison
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Raissa M Mendonca
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, USA
| | - G Allen Burton
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Abstract
Nickel (Ni) metal and Ni compounds are widely used in applications like stainless steel, alloys, and batteries. Nickel is a naturally occurring element in water, soil, air, and living organisms, and is essential to microorganisms and plants. Thus, human and environmental nickel exposures are ubiquitous. Production and use of nickel and its compounds can, however, result in additional exposures to humans and the environment. Notable human health toxicity effects identified from human and/or animal studies include respiratory cancer, non-cancer toxicity effects following inhalation, dermatitis, and reproductive effects. These effects have thresholds, with indirect genotoxic and epigenetic events underlying the threshold mode of action for nickel carcinogenicity. Differences in human toxicity potencies/potentials of different nickel chemical forms are correlated with the bioavailability of the Ni2+ ion at target sites. Likewise, Ni2+ has been demonstrated to be the toxic chemical species in the environment, and models have been developed that account for the influence of abiotic factors on the bioavailability and toxicity of Ni2+ in different habitats. Emerging issues regarding the toxicity of nickel nanoforms and metal mixtures are briefly discussed. This review is unique in its covering of both human and environmental nickel toxicity data.
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Lécrivain N, Frossard V, Clément B. Changes in mobility of trace metals at the sediment-water-biota interfaces following laboratory drying and reimmersion of a lacustrine sediment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 26:14050-14058. [PMID: 30852750 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-04729-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Alterations in the timing, frequency, and magnitude of water level fluctuations (WLF) in lakes may result in important changes in abiotic parameters that can affect sediment-borne contaminant mobility at the sediment-water-biota interfaces in littoral zones. This study aims to assess the mobility of trace metals (TMs)-Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn-under laboratory-simulated WLF (i.e., drying and reimmersion of sediments) through a three-pronged approach. One surficial sediment was sampled from the shoreline of a large French lake exhibiting an artificially limited WLF. A sample was enriched with a solution of TMs to ensure significant measurements of mobility. The spiked and naturally contaminated sediments were dried and reimmersed. The first approach consisted in measuring the mobility of TMs from the sediment to the water column under resuspensions of particles through leaching tests. The second approach assessed the partitioning of TMs between the different binding forms within the sediments through sequential extraction tests. The last approach tested the changes in TM bioconcentration in organisms exposed to sediment through microcosm assays. The hypothesis was that WLF may increase mobility from the sediment to the water column relative to mobility from the residual to easily mobilizable fractions within the sediments and consequently increase the bioconcentration of less inert trace metals, mostly Cd and Zn. This hypothesis was partly rejected as TM binding forms mainly increased toward the residual fractions within the sediment, especially for Cd and Zn, and bioconcentration mainly decreased following WLF. However, TM concentration increased in the water column when WLF included great resuspension of particles. The study also provides insights into the complex relationships among contaminant mobility to the water column, bioavailability, and bioconcentration, especially in the context of large abiotic disturbances such as WLF. These findings may be useful for further management strategies for WLF-regulated lakes and reservoirs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Lécrivain
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR5023 LEHNA, F-69518, Vaulx-en-Velin, France.
| | - Victor Frossard
- Université Savoie Mont-Blanc, UMR 42 CARRTEL, 73376, Le Bourget du Lac, France
| | - Bernard Clément
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR5023 LEHNA, F-69518, Vaulx-en-Velin, France
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Huang B, Guo Z, Xiao X, Zeng P, Peng C. Changes in chemical fractions and ecological risk prediction of heavy metals in estuarine sediments of Chunfeng Lake estuary, China. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2019; 138:575-583. [PMID: 30660308 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The changes of available forms of heavy metals would affect their corresponding ecological risks in sediments. The distribution of chemical fractions of heavy metals in sediment profiles from Chunfeng Lake estuary was investigated and then a prediction model for potential ecological risk index (PMRI) was proposed to forecast the changes of ecological risks caused by the aging process of metals in sediments. The results show that the estuarine sediments were polluted by As and Cd. The proportions of available metals were generally decreased with depth, while those of the residual forms showed an opposite trend. The aging rates of Cd and As were found to be 0.21 and 0.12%/year, respectively. The PMRI model showed that the total ecological risk of metals in sediments decreased from moderate to low risk level (<150) after 25 years, while cadmium would need 47 years in contrast to the 15 years for As.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Huang
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, People's Republic of China; Yueyang Environmental Monitoring Centre, Yueyang 414000, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaohui Guo
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiyuan Xiao
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Zeng
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, People's Republic of China
| | - Chi Peng
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, People's Republic of China.
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Amato ED, Marasinghe Wadige CPM, Taylor AM, Maher WA, Simpson SL, Jolley DF. Field and laboratory evaluation of DGT for predicting metal bioaccumulation and toxicity in the freshwater bivalve Hyridella australis exposed to contaminated sediments. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 243:862-871. [PMID: 30245448 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Revised: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 09/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique has shown to be a useful tool for predicting metal bioavailability and toxicity in sediments, however, links between DGT measurements and biological responses have often relied on laboratory-based exposures and further field evaluations are required. In this study, DGT probes were deployed in metal-contaminated (Cd, Pb, Zn) sediments to evaluate relationships between bioaccumulation by the freshwater bivalve Hyridella australis and DGT-metal fluxes under both laboratory and field conditions. The DGT-metal flux measured across the sediment/water interface (±1 cm) was useful for predicting significant cadmium and zinc bioaccumulation, irrespective of the type of sediment and exposure. A greater DGT-Zn flux measured in the field was consistent with significantly higher zinc bioaccumulation, highlighting the importance of performing metal bioavailability assessments in situ. In addition, DGT fluxes were useful for predicting the potential risk of sub-lethal toxicity (i.e., lipid peroxidation and lysosomal membrane damage). Due to its ability to account for multiple metal exposures, DGT better predicted bioaccumulation and toxicity than particulate metal concentrations in sediments. These results provide further evidence supporting the applicability of the DGT technique as a monitoring tool for sediment quality assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvio D Amato
- Systemic, Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research (SPHERE), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Contaminants Research, CSIRO Land and Water, Lucas Heights, NSW, 2234, Australia; School of Chemistry, University of Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia.
| | | | - Anne M Taylor
- Ecochemistry Laboratory, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - William A Maher
- Ecochemistry Laboratory, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Stuart L Simpson
- Centre for Environmental Contaminants Research, CSIRO Land and Water, Lucas Heights, NSW, 2234, Australia
| | - Dianne F Jolley
- School of Chemistry, University of Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
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Mendonca RM, Daley JM, Hudson ML, Schlekat CE, Burton GA, Costello DM. Metal Oxides in Surface Sediment Control Nickel Bioavailability to Benthic Macroinvertebrates. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:13407-13416. [PMID: 29043797 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b03718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In aquatic ecosystems, the cycling and toxicity of nickel (Ni) are coupled to other elemental cycles that can limit its bioavailability. Current sediment risk assessment approaches consider acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) as the major binding phase for Ni, but have not yet incorporated ligands that are present in oxic sediments. Our study aimed to assess how metal oxides play a role in Ni bioavailability in surficial sediments exposed to effluent from two mine sites. We coupled spatially explicit sediment geochemistry (i.e., separate oxic and suboxic) to the indigenous macroinvertebrate community structure. Effluent-exposed sites contained high concentrations of sediment Ni and AVS, though roughly 80% less AVS was observed in surface sediments. Iron (Fe) oxide mineral concentrations were elevated in surface sediments and bound a substantial proportion of Ni. Redundancy analysis of the invertebrate community showed surface sediment geochemistry significantly explained shifts in community abundances. Relative abundance of the dominant mayfly (Ephemeridae) was reduced in sites with greater bioavailable Ni, but accounting for Fe oxide-bound Ni greatly decreased variation in effect thresholds between the two mine sites. Our results provide field-based evidence that solid-phase ligands in oxic sediment, most notably Fe oxides, may have a critical role in controlling nickel bioavailability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raissa M Mendonca
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University , 1275 University Esplanade, Kent, Ohio 44242, United States
| | - Jennifer M Daley
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan , 440 Church St., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Michelle L Hudson
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan , 440 Church St., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Christian E Schlekat
- Nickel Producers Environmental Research Association (NiPERA, Inc.), 2525 Meridian Parkway, Suite 240, Durham, North Carolina 27713, United States
| | - G Allen Burton
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan , 440 Church St., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - David M Costello
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University , 1275 University Esplanade, Kent, Ohio 44242, United States
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