| 1. |
- Kuprijanov, Ivan, et al.
(författare)
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A case study on microlitter and chemical contaminants : Assessing biological effects in the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland (Baltic sea) using the mussel Mytilus trossulus as a bioindicator
- 2024
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Ingår i: Marine Environmental Research. - : Elsevier. - 0141-1136 .- 1879-0291. ; 199
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chemical and microlitter (ML) pollution in three Estonian coastal areas (Baltic Sea) was investigated using mussels (Mytilus trossulus). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in mussel tissues were observed in moderate levels with high bioaccumulation factors for the more hydrophilic and low molecular weight PAH (LMW PAH), namely anthracene and fluorene. Tissue concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and cadmium within mussel populations exceeded the Good Environmental Status thresholds by more than 200% and 60%, respectively. Multiple contamination at the Muuga Harbour site by tributyltin, high molecular weight PAH, including the highly toxic benzo[c]fluorene and PBDE, coincided with the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity and a lower condition index of the mussels. The metabolization and removal of bioaccumulated LMW PAH, reflected in the dominance of oxy-PAH such as anthracene-9,10-dione, is likely associated with the increased activity of glutathione S-transferase in caged mussels. Only a few microplastic particles were observed among the ML in mussel tissues, with coloured cellulose-based microfibers being the most prevalent. The average concentration of ML in mussels was significantly higher at the harbour area than at other sites. The integrated biomarker response index values allowed for the differentiation of pollution levels across studied locations representing high, intermediate, and low pollution levels within the studied area.
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| 2. |
- Lehtonen, Kari K., et al.
(författare)
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Development of Tools for Integrated Monitoring and Assessment of Hazardous Substances and Their Biological Effects in the Baltic Sea
- 2014
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Ingår i: Ambio. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 43:1, s. 69-81
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The need to develop biological effects monitoring to facilitate a reliable assessment of hazardous substances has been emphasized in the Baltic Sea Action Plan of the Helsinki Commission. An integrated chemical-biological approach is vitally important for the understanding and proper assessment of anthropogenic pressures and their effects on the Baltic Sea. Such an approach is also necessary for prudent management aiming at safeguarding the sustainable use of ecosystem goods and Services. The BEAST project (Biological Effects of Anthropogenic Chemical Stress: Tools for the Assessment of Ecosystem Health) set out to address this topic within the BONUS Programme. BEAST generated a large amount of quality-assured data on several biological effects parameters (biomarkers) in various marine species in different sub-regions of the Baltic Sea. New indicators (biological response measurement methods) and management tools (integrated indices) with regard to the integrated monitoring approach were suggested.
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| 3. |
- Turja, Raisa, et al.
(författare)
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The mussel caging approach in assessing biological effects of wastewater treatment plant discharges in the Gulf of Finland (Baltic Sea)
- 2015
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Ingår i: Marine Pollution Bulletin. - : Elsevier BV. - 0025-326X .- 1879-3363. ; 97:1-2, s. 135-149
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Biological effects of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents were investigated in Baltic mussels (Mytilus trossulus) caged for one month 800 m and 1100 m from the WWTP discharge site and at a reference site 4 km away. Significant antioxidant, genotoxic and lysosomal responses were observed close to the point of the WWTP discharge. Passive samplers (POCIS) attached to the cages indicated markedly higher water concentrations of various pharmaceuticals at the two most impacted sites. Modeling the dispersal of a hypothetical passive tracer compound from the WWTP discharge site revealed differing frequencies and timing of the exposure periods at different caging sites. The study demonstrated for the first time the effectiveness of the mussel caging approach in combination with passive samplers and the application of passive tracer modeling to examine the true exposure patterns at point source sites such as WWTP pipe discharges in the Baltic Sea.
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| 4. |
- Villnas, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Multi-level responses of Macoma balthica to recurring hypoxic disturbance
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-0981 .- 1879-1697. ; 510, s. 64-72
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The frequency of seasonal and short-term hypoxia is increasing in coastal seas. How such repeated disturbances affect key species that have important roles for ecosystem processes and functions remains, however, unknown. By performing a field experiment we explored if the bivalve Macoma balthica can cope with short-term, recurring hypoxic stress, and investigated how hypoxia affects the condition of surviving bivalves. By combining data on different levels of biological organization, i.e., on physiology (biomarker response), behaviour and demography, we identified stress responses before the population declined. One pulse of hypoxic disturbance (3 days) resulted in behavioural alterations, as adult M. balthica extended their siphons, emerged towards the sediment surface and expressed decreased reburial rates. However, the demographic structure of the population remained unaltered. Several pulses of recurring hypoxic stress resulted in physiological response with changes in glutathione reductase and acetylcholinesterase enzyme activities. The recurring hypoxic disturbance was observed to affect juvenile bivalves before adults, while pro-longed hypoxia reduced the entire bivalve population. Our results clearly show that hypoxic stress changes the behaviour and physiology of M. balthica before demographic changes occur, which is likely to have severe implications for the contribution of this key species to ecosystem functioning. That a combination of measures at different levels of organization can detect disturbances at an early stage suggests that such an approach would be useful for assessing the effects of disturbances on marine ecosystems that are increasingly affected by anthropogenic change.
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