| 1. |
- Dahlgren, Kristin, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Influence of plankton structure and temperature on pelagic food web efficiency in a brackish water system
- 2011
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Ingår i: Aquatic Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1386-2588 .- 1573-5125. ; 45, s. 307-323
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- As part of one climate change scenario, water temperature as well as the ratio between heterotrophic and autotrophic production is expected to increase; the latter at least in higher latitudes. In order to test how this scenario would affect organisms, such as metazooplankton, at higher trophic levels and carbon transfer up the food chain, a mesocosm experiment was performed at two different temperatures; 5 and 10°C, with two food webs; one phytoplankton-based (NP; autotrophic) and one bacteria-based (CNP; heterotrophic). The groups of pelagic organisms included in the mesocosms were bacteria, flagellates, ciliates, phytoplankton and metazooplankton. Metazooplankton production was observed to increase with temperature, but was not significantly affected by food web structure. A change in food web structure, i.e. increased heterotrophy, did however lead to decreased fatty acid content and lower individual weight of the metazooplankton. Food web efficiency (FWE), defined as metazooplankton production divided by basal production, increased with autotrophy and temperature: 5CNP (0.2%) < 10CNP (0.4%) < 5NP (1.2%) < 10NP (7.3%). Our results indicate that in the climate change scenario under consideration, the temperature will have a positive effect on FWE whereas the increase in heterotrophy will have a negative effect on FWE. Furthermore, the quality, in terms of fatty acid content and individual weight of the metazooplankton, will be reduced with possible negative effects on higher trophic levels.
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| 2. |
- Eriksson Wiklund, Ann-Kristin, et al.
(författare)
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Contaminants and habitat choice in the Baltic Sea: Behavioural experiments with the native species, Monoporeia affinis, and the invasive genus, Marenzelleria
- 2009
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Ingår i: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0272-7714 .- 1096-0015. ; 81, s. 238-246
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The invasive polychaete genus, Marenzelleria and the native amphipod, Monoporeia affinis are food and habitat competitors in the Baltic Sea. Previous studies have shown that moderate densities of Marenzelleria can affect the behaviour of M. affinis. To examine the short-term interactive effects of interspecific habitat choice and environmental contaminants a series of habitat colonisation experiments were performed. The contaminants examined included harbor sediments and sediment spiked with the antifouling substances, Cu, Zn and Irgarol. Polychaetes and amphipods were exposed to contaminants in single-species and two-species experiments. In spiked-sediment experiments, M. affinis showed clear dose-dependent response. These experiments verified that behavioural response of M. affinis to different habitats is a sensitive method for testing toxicity under controlled conditions. In experiments with three different harbor sediments and reference sediment both species showed the lowest preference for the reference sediment. This sediment also had the lowest content of quality food, indicating that factors such as food quality and quantity may override the disturbing effects of contaminants in natural sediments. The presence of Marenzelleria spp. did not affect amphipod habitat choice, indicating no short-term effects, which implies that both species can co-exist provided sufficient food is available.
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| 3. |
- Wiklund, Ann-Kristin Eriksson, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of warming and shifts of pelagic food web structure on benthic productivity in a coastal marine system
- 2009
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Ingår i: Marine Ecology Progress Series. - : Inter-Research Science Center. - 0171-8630 .- 1616-1599. ; 396, s. 13-25
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- It has been predicted that climate change will lead to increased temperature and precipitation in northern latitudes, which in turn may lead to brownification of coastal sea areas. This will increase the importance of the heterotrophic microbial food web in areas like the northern Baltic Sea. Such a structural change in the pelagic food web would hamper benthic productivity, since microheterotrophs have lower settling rates than phytoplankton. We tested how variation in temperature and alteration of the pelagic food web structure affected the productivity of a key benthic species, the amphipod Monopoeria affinis, and the pelagic-benthic food web efficiency (FWE). Using water from the northern Baltic Sea, a mesocosm experiment was performed in which the temperature was altered by 5 degrees C. The structure of the pelagic food web changed from one based on algae to one based on bacteria. Amphipod productivity was 3 times higher and FWE was 25 times higher in the algae than in the bacteria-based food web, showing that an altered pelagic food web will have severe effects on benthic productivity. Temperature variation, on the other hand, did not cause any changes in either growth of M. affinis or FWE. Our data indicate that indirect effects of climate change, leading to structural changes in the pelagic food web, will have much more severe effects on benthic productivity than the direct effect of increased temperature.
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| 4. |
- Abel, Sebastian, 1988-, et al.
(författare)
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Chemical Activity-Based Loading of Artificial Sediments with Organic Pollutants for Bioassays : A Proof of Concept
- 2024
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Ingår i: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. - 0730-7268 .- 1552-8618. ; 43:2, s. 279-287
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) pose a risk in aquatic environments. In sediment, this risk is frequently evaluated using total or organic carbon-normalized concentrations. However, complex physicochemical sediment characteristics affect POP bioavailability in sediment, making its prediction a challenging task. This task can be addressed using chemical activity, which describes a compound's environmentally effective concentration and can generally be approximated by the degree of saturation for each POP in its matrix. We present a proof of concept to load artificial sediments with POPs to reach a target chemical activity. This approach is envisioned to make laboratory ecotoxicological bioassays more reproducible and reduce the impact of sediment characteristics on the risk assessment. The approach uses a constantly replenished, saturated, aqueous POP solution to equilibrate the organic carbon fraction (e.g., peat) of an artificial sediment, which can be further adjusted to target chemical activities by mixing with clean peat. We demonstrate the applicability of this approach using four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, and fluoranthene). Within 5 to 17 weeks, the peat slurry reached a chemical equilibrium with the saturated loading solution. We used two different peat batches (subsamples from the same source) to evaluate the approach. Variations in loading kinetics and eventual equilibrium concentrations were evident between the batches, which highlights the impact of even minor disparities in organic carbon properties within two samples of peat originating from the same source. This finding underlines the importance of moving away from sediment risk assessments based on total concentrations. The value of the chemical activity-based loading approach lies in its ability to anticipate similar environmental impacts, even with varying contaminant concentrations.
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| 5. |
- Adolfsson-Erici, Margaretha, et al.
(författare)
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Undersökning av det syntetiska sötningsmedlet sukralos med avseende på eventuella ekotoxikologiska effekter
- 2001
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Två släkten av kräftdjur: Nitocra spinipes och Gammarus oceanicus resp zaddachiexponerades för sukralos i ekotoxikologiskt relevanta koncentrationer i kroniska tester. Viarbetade utifrån följande hypoteser: skalömsning hos kräftdjur störs av höga halter sukralos iomgivande vatten samt att sukralos inte biokoncentreras i exponerade organismer.Långtidsexponering resulterade i högre dödlighet hos juvenila gammarider. Sukralos syntesinte påverka skalömsningstiden för de adulta honorna i ett pre-copula experiment. Inga teckenpå biokoncentrering kunde märkas. Exponeringen av Nitocra resulterade i att de djur somexponerats för de lägre koncentrationerna av sukralos var längre jämfört med kontrolldjurenmedan för individer exponerade för de högre koncentrationerna minskade längden medökande sukraloskoncentration. De kortaste individerna återfanns i den positiva kontrollen ochhade exponerats för 50 μg/L lindan. RNA-innehållet varierade mellan exponeringarna och denvar lägst i 500μg/L och högst i 5000 μg/L exponeringen Vi fann däremot inget signifikantsamband mellan RNA-innehåll och tillväxthastighet hos Nitocra. Detta kan möjligen vara eneffekt av sukralosexponering, eftersom linjära responser från tidigare experiment har noterats.Inga skillnader avseende medelutvecklingstiden var signifikanta. Renat avloppsvatten frånHenriksalsverken innehöll relativt höga koncentrationer sukralos liksom ytvatten från trereningsverksrecipienter.
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| 6. |
- Andrén, Cecilia M., et al.
(författare)
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Response of Gammarus pulex and Baetis rhodani to springtime acid episodes in humic brooks
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Although the acid load has decreased throughout Scandinavia, episodic acidification continues to affect stream biology by temporarily decreasing pH levels and mobilising aluminium. These events are becoming more common as climate change renders more frequent and intense storm floods. The transient acidity can reduce fish populations, but fish food resources can also be impaired because macro-invertebrates are affected. In this in-stream study, two salmonid prey organisms (Gammarus pulex and Baetis rhodani) were exposed to snowmelt in six humic brooks with a natural gradient of pH and inorganic monomeric Al (Ali). We hypothesise that there are thresholds for acid toxicity that can be defined by mortality and changes in body elemental content. Mortality was observed and the whole body content of base cations (BC, i.e., Ca, Mg, Na and K) and metals (Al, Fe, Zn and Mn) were determined. Both species began to die and the total bodily BC content decreased as the pH levels decreased and the Ali concentrations increased. In contrast to what has been observed for fish gills, no accumulation of Al was observed. The invertebrate body Na content decreased when the pH level decreased, which indicated that the osmoregulation in both species was affected. The Ca content in G. pulex and the Mg content in B. rhodani diverged from the general BC-pattern by increasing when the pH level decreased. The mortality increased drastically at pH <6.0 and Ali >15 μg/L for G. pulex and at pH <5.7 and Ali >20 μg/L for the somewhat less sensitive B. rhodani. Although Ali is tightly correlated to pH, the local Al availability in soil and bedrock also affect the Al release and toxic Ali episodes can consequently arise in some catchment areas. The estimated values can be used as water quality thresholds to adjust lime dose because both Ali and pH levels have to be balanced to prevent harm in recovering stream ecosystems.
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| 7. |
- Andrén, Cecilia M., et al.
(författare)
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Response of Gammarus pulex and Baetis rhodani to springtime acid episodes in humic brooks
- 2013
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 463, s. 690-699
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- While chronic acidification of water bodies has been steadily decreasing, episodic acidification continues to affect stream biology by temporarily decreasing pH and mobilizing aluminum. These events are becoming more common as climate change renders more frequent and intense storms and flooding. Throughout Scandinavia, the effects of acidification have been mitigated by liming since the 1980s, but remediation efforts can now be reduced. While transient acidity may reduce fish populations, also other species in streams are affected. In this in-stream study, two macro-invertebrates (Gammarus pulex and Baetis rhodani), both known as salmonid prey organisms, were exposed to snowmelt in six humic brooks with a natural gradient of pH and inorganic monomeric Al (Al-i). We hypothesize that acid toxicity thresholds can be defined using lethal (mortality) and sublethal (changes in body elemental content) metrics. Periodic observations were made of mortality and whole body concentrations of base cations (BC: Ca, Mg, Na and K) and metals (Al, Fe, Zn and Mn). Mortality increased dramatically at pH < 6.0 and Al-i > 15 mu g/L for G. pulex and at pH < 5.7 and Al-i > 20 mu g/L for B. rhodani. No accumulation of Al was found. The invertebrate body Na concentration decreased when pH dropped, suggesting that osmoregulation in both species was affected. In contrast to general BC pattern, Ca concentration in G. pulex and Mg concentration in B. rhodani increased when pH decreased. Although Ali strongly correlates to pH, the Al composition of soil and bedrock also influences Al availability, potentially contributing to toxic Al; episodes. The estimated values calculated in this study can be used to improve water quality criteria and as thresholds to adjust doses of lime compared to old recommendations in ongoing liming programs. Such adjustments may be critical since both Ali and pH levels have to be balanced to mitigate damage to recovering stream ecosystems.
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| 8. |
- Andrén, Cecilia M., 1964-
(författare)
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Toxicity of Inorganic Aluminium in Humic Streams
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Aluminium (Al) has been recognised as a main toxic factor alongside pH in acidified water ecosystems. The toxic effect of Al has been attributed to inorganic Al (Ali), though there are few in situ studies in ambient humic waters which are the focus of this thesis.The aim was to estimate Ali toxicity and thus also Ali concentrations in Swedish humic streams. Subsequently it is necessary to analyse Ali correctly, which was studied by modelling and method intercalibrations. The hypothesis was that the effect of Ali could be followed via physiological effects and Al accumulation, as well as by mortality. Toxicity was studied by in stream exposures of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) and two salmonid prey organisms (Gammarus pulex and Baetis rhodani) during spring flood.The modelling of the Ali fraction was performed using monitoring data covering all of Sweden with satisfactory results. The essential variables for Ali modelling were determined; Al, DOC, pH and F, while Fe, Ca and Mg had less effect. The automated analytical procedure for Ali (with cation exchange followed by complexation with pyrocatechol violet) was modified and validated and showed to be the preferred method for laboratory analyses.To avoid detrimental effects for brown trout Ali should be <20 µg/L and pH >5.0; mortality was high when the Ali was above 50 µg/L. The invertebrates were more sensitive, as mortalities occurred at pH <6.0 and Ali >15 µg/L for G. pulex, and at pH <5.7 and Ali >20 µg/L for B. rhodani. It is prudent to use a wide view and let the most sensitive species set the tolerance limits; a pH above 5.7-6.0 and Ali below 15-20 µg/L allows the stream ecosystems to thrive.Today, as waters are recovering from acidification, the aim of mitigating liming is to carefully adjust dosage to avoid suboptimal water quality. The thresholds found in this thesis can be used to efficiently but carefully decrease liming, as both Ali and pH levels have to be balanced to sustain the recovering aquatic biota.
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| 9. |
- Bighiu, Maria Alexandra, 1989-, et al.
(författare)
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Biofouling of leisure boats as a source of metal pollution
- 2017
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Pollution Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0944-1344 .- 1614-7499. ; 24:1, s. 997-1006
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The release of harmful metals from antifouling paints to water bodies is a well-known problem. In this study, we measured both the amount of biofouling growth on leisure boats during one season as well as the concentration of metals accumulated by the biofouling matrix. Furthermore, the efficiency of antifouling paints and mechanical boat cleaning as well as the effect of hull colour on biofouling were evaluated. Unlike paint residues, biofouling waste has never been regarded as a source of metal contamination and has previously been neglected in the scientific literature. Our results revealed that the biofouling waste contained very high concentrations of metals, up to 28,000 mg copper/kg dw and 171,000 mg zinc/kg dw, which exceeds the guidance values for least sensitive land use in Sweden by factors of 140 and 340, respectively. This observation is important because the contaminated biofouling waste is commonly disposed of in boatyard soils at the end of each season, thus increasing the levels of metal pollution. Moreover, there was no significant difference in the amount of biofouling if the boats were coated with copper or zinc containing paints or no paint at all, indicating that biocide paints might not be necessary in low-salinity areas such as the Stockholm archipelago. For boats that were not painted at all during the season, those washed on boat washers (mechanically) had on average half of the amount of biofouling compared to boats that were not cleaned mechanically. The results of the study indicate the importance of proper management of biofouling waste as well as the use of more environmentally friendly removal methods for biofouling such as boat washers.
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| 10. |
- Bighiu, Maria Alexandra, et al.
(författare)
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Metal contamination in harbours impacts life-history traits and metallothionein levels in snails
- 2017
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Ingår i: Plos One. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 12:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Harbours with limited water exchange are hotspots of contaminant accumulation. Antifouling paints (AF) contribute to this accumulation by leaching biocides that may affect non-target species. In several leisure boat harbours and reference areas in the Baltic Sea, chronic exposure effects were evaluated using caging experiments with the snail Theodoxus fluviatilis. We analysed variations in ecologically relevant endpoints (mortality, growth and reproduction) in concert with variation in metallothionein-like proteins (MTLP) levels. The latter is a biomarker of exposure to metals, such as copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), which are used in AF paints as active ingredient and stabilizer, respectively. In addition, environmental samples (water, sediment) were analysed for metal (Cu and Zn) and nutrient (total phosphorous and nitrogen) concentrations. All life-history endpoints were negatively affected by the exposure, with higher mortality, reduced growth and lower fecundity in the harbours compared to the reference sites. Metal concentrations were the key explanatory variables for all observed adverse effects, suggesting that metal-driven toxicity, which is likely to stem from AF paints, is a source of anthropogenic stress for biota in the harbours.
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| 11. |
- Bighiu, Maria Alexandra, et al.
(författare)
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Mortality and histopathological effects in harbour-transplanted snails with different exposure histories
- 2017
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Ingår i: Aquatic Toxicology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0166-445X .- 1879-1514. ; 190, s. 11-20
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Contaminants are important stressors in the aquatic environment and may exert selective pressures on organisms. We hypothesized that snails originating from a metal-contaminated habitat (B) would have increased tolerance to harbour contaminants (e.g. metals from antifouling paints), compared to snails originating from a relatively clean habitat (A). We assessed tolerance to metals in terms of survival and histopathological alterations after 2, 4 and 8 weeks of in situ exposure in three Baltic Sea boat harbours and three reference sites. We also hypothesized that any potential tolerance to contaminants would be associated with differences in genetic diversity between the two snail populations (evaluated as mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, COI). The results show that snails from population A survived to a higher extent compared to population B, possibly indicating either a lack of adaptation to metals in snails B or impaired health condition due to contaminant pre-exposure or a higher resilience of snails A. Moreover, the genetic diversity of COI was low within each population and did not differ between populations. In general, 83% of all the types of histopathological alterations (e.g. lysis and necrosis of gonads and digestive gland or granulocytoma and phagocytosis in the storage tissue, among others) had a higher probability of occurrence among harbour-exposed snails compared to reference exposed snails, regardless of snail population origin. The only significant difference in histological effects between the two populations was in the frequency of parasite infestations and shell fouling, both being larger for population A than B. Interestingly, the rate of parasite infestations was higher for males than females from population A, whereas no sexual dichotomy was observed for population B. Our results show that exposure to harbour contaminants causes both lethal and sublethal toxicity to snails, and the association between many of the toxic responses and metals substantiates that antifouling substances contribute to the observed effects, although there is a large proportion of variation in our data that remains unexplained.
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| 12. |
- Bighiu, Maria Alexandra, 1989-
(författare)
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Use and environmental impact of antifouling paints in the Baltic Sea
- 2017
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Biocide-based antifouling (AF) paints are the most common method for preventing biofouling, i.e. the growth of algae, barnacles and other organisms on boat hulls. AF paints for leisure boats are predominantly based on copper (Cu) as the main biocide, with zinc (Zn) present as a pigment and stabilizer. Both metals are released from the paint matrix into the water column, leading to contamination of marinas which typically have only limited water exchange. Thus, the aim of this PhD thesis was to describe the use of AF paints in different regions in Sweden, as well as the associated environmental consequences with regard to contamination of the environment and toxicity to non-target aquatic snails. Using a recently developed X-ray fluorescence application, high levels of Cu were detected on boats moored in freshwaters, despite a more than 20-year-old ban, as well as high levels of tin (Sn) on 10 % of the boats, indicating the presence of (old) tributyltin paints (TBT), which might pose an environmental risk and a health hazard for people performing the paint scraping (paper 1). In addition, very high levels of Cu and Zn were measured in the biofouling material collected from the boat hulls, and this is problematic because the biofouling is commonly disposed of on the soil in boatyards at the end of each season. No difference was found in the amount of biofouling on boats coated with Cu or biocide-free paints, which implies that Cu might be currently overused in areas of low salinity and low barnacle density (paper 2). This work also introduces the use of a new species for ecotoxicological field experiments, the snail Theodoxus fluviatilis. Chronic field experiments (paper 3) revealed 6-fold increases in snail mortality, negative growth and up to 67-fold decreased reproduction in marinas, compared to areas not impacted by boating (‘reference areas’). Moreover, a higher prevalence of snails with histopathological alterations (e.g. necrosis of gills, gonads, midgut gland and parasite infestation, among others) was observed in the marinas, compared to the reference areas (paper 4). Statistical modelling indicated that the majority of the toxic effects were best predicted by the metals, most likely originating from AF paints. The results presented in this thesis depict some important aspects of AF paint use in brackish water and highlight the necessity of implementing a suitable management practice for the heavily contaminated biofouling waste in order to minimize the risk to soils. In addition, the evidence of toxicity to snails in marinas can be used as a basis to increase the public understanding of the impact of recreational boating and encourage people to choose less toxic alternatives to AF paints.
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
- Ek, Caroline, et al.
(författare)
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Increase in stable isotope ratios driven by metabolic alterations in amphipods exposed to the beta-blocker propranolol
- 2019
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 14:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Anthropogenic pressures, such as contaminant exposure, may affect stable isotope ratios in biota. These changes are driven by alterations in the nutrient allocation and metabolic pathways induced by specific stressors. In a controlled microcosm study with the amphipod Gammarus spp., we studied effects of the beta-blocker propranolol on stable isotope signatures (delta N-15 and delta C-13), elemental composition (%C and %N), and growth (protein content and body size) as well as biomarkers of oxidative status (antioxidant capacity, ORAC; lipid peroxidation, TBARS) and neurological activity (acetylcholinesterase, AChE). Based on the known effects of propranolol exposure on cellular functions, i.e., its mode of action (MOA), we expected to observe a lower scope for growth, accompanied by a decrease in protein deposition, oxidative processes and AChE inhibition, with a resulting increase in the isotopic signatures. The observed responses in growth, biochemical and elemental variables supported most of these predictions. In particular, an increase in %N was observed in the propranolol exposures, whereas both protein allocation and body size declined. Moreover, both ORAC and TBARS levels decreased with increasing propranolol concentration, with the decrease being more pronounced for TBARS, which indicates the prevalence of the antioxidative processes. These changes resulted in a significant increase of the delta N-15 and delta C-13 values in the propranolol-exposed animals compared to the control. These findings suggest that MOA of beta-blockers may be used to predict sublethal effects in non-target species, including inhibited AChE activity, improved oxidative balance, and elevated stable isotope ratios. The latter also indicates that metabolism-driven responses to environmental contaminants can alter stable isotope signatures, which should be taken into account when interpreting trophic interactions in the food webs.
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Eklund, Britta, et al.
(författare)
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Pollutant Concentrations and Toxic Effects on the Red Alga Ceramium tenuicorne of Sediments from Natural Harbors and Small Boat Harbors on the West Coast of Sweden
- 2016
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Ingår i: Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0090-4341 .- 1432-0703. ; 70:3, s. 583-594
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This investigation set out to analyze the toxicity of surface sediments in a number of natural harbors and small boat harbors on the west coast of Sweden. This was done with the growth inhibition method with Ceramium tenuicorne. Also, concentrations of copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), irgarol, organotin compounds, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the sediments were analyzed. The small boat harbors were heavily polluted by Cu, Zn, butyltins, and PAHs, and to a lesser extent by Pb. The Cu, Pb, Zn, and butyltins probably originated from their past and/or present use in antifouling paints, whereas the PAHs probably had multiple sources, including boat motor exhausts. The measured toxicity of the sediment was generally related to their Cu, Zn, and butyltin content, although other toxic substances than those analyzed here probably contributed to the toxicity in some of the harbors. The natural harbor sediments contained less pollutants and were less toxic than the small boat harbor sediments. Nevertheless, our data indicate that the boating pressure today may be high enough to produce toxic effects even in natural harbors in pristine areas. The strongest relationship between toxicity and the major pollutants was obtained when the sediment toxicity was expressed as gram wet weight per liter compared with gram dry weight per liter and gram total organic carbon per liter. Hence, for pollutants that can be elutriated with natural sea water, sediment toxicity expressed as gram wet weight per liter appears preferable.
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| 19. |
- Eriksson Wiklund, Ann-Kristin, et al.
(författare)
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Behavioural and physiological responses to pharmaceutical exposure in macroalgae and grazers from a Baltic Sea littoral community
- 2011
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Ingår i: Aquatic Biology. - : Inter-Research Science Center. - 1864-7782 .- 1864-7790. ; 14:1, s. 29-39
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Gammarus spp. and Fucus vesiculosus from the Baltic Sea littoral community were exposed to 3 concentrations of the pharmaceuticals ibuprofen and propranolol. Both physiological and behavioural parameters were measured to examine potential effects in the organisms. For Gammarus spp., respiration, feeding rate and activity with and without predator cues were measured, and gross production to respiration ratio (GP/R) and chlorophyll fluorescence were measured for F. vesiculosus. The results showed that propranolol decreased the activity related to movement, and Gammarus spp. could not compensate for the reduced movement when subjected to predator cues. The feeding rates of Gammarus spp. exposed to propranolol were more than 2 times higher at all concentrations compared to the control. Ibuprofen did not significantly affect any of the measured parameters of Gammarus spp. The GP/R was lower in algae exposed to propranolol. The effects of propranolol on both behaviour and physiology of Gammarus spp., in combination with the stress responses in the algae, might cause unexpected indirect and cascade effects which eventually could have implications at both community and ecosystem scales.
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| 20. |
- Eriksson Wiklund, Ann-Kristin, et al.
(författare)
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Benthic competition and population dynamics of Monoporeia affinis and Marenzelleria sp in the northern Baltic Sea
- 2014
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Ingår i: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0272-7714 .- 1096-0015. ; 144, s. 46-53
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- During the last two decades major changes of the benthic fauna have occurred in the northern Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Bothnia. The native amphipod, Monoporeia affinis, has shown a large-scale abundance decrease, while polychaetes, Marenzelleria spp. have invaded the system. Marenzelleria co-exist with the native fauna in the southern Baltic Sea, but in the north the pelagic production might be too low to allow co-existence. Thus, M. affinis might have been out-competed by Marenzelleria in the Gulf of Bothnia. This hypothesis was tested in a competition experiment with a high and a low fresh phytoplankton food supply. When exposed to high food supply both species showed stable or increased biomass over the four week test period. In low food supply, however, M. affinis was found to have a competitive advantage. The experimental data were also related to Baltic Sea monitoring data on primary production, sedimentation and invertebrate abundances. Data from the northern Baltic Sea show that the dominance in the benthic community by M. affinis was replaced by Marenzelleria around 2001. The amphipod decrease might be explained by a marked decrease in primary production during this period. Combining monitoring and experimental data suggests that the invasion of Marenzelleria did not cause the decrease of M. affinis in the northern Baltic Sea; it rather took advantage of the density gap that had occurred. A shift may thus have been established in the Bothnian Sea benthic community.
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| 21. |
- Eriksson Wiklund, Ann-Kristin, et al.
(författare)
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Cardiotoxic and neurobehavioral effects of sucralose and acesulfame in Daphnia : Toward understanding ecological impacts of artificial sweeteners
- 2023
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Ingår i: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - Part C. - 1532-0456 .- 1878-1659. ; 273
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Artificial sweeteners are widely used in food and pharmaceuticals, but their stability and persistence raise concerns about their impact on aquatic life. Although standard toxicity tests do not reveal lethal effects, recent studies suggest a potential neurotoxic mode of action. Using environmentally relevant concentrations, we assessed the effects of sucralose and acesulfame, common sugar substitutes, on Daphnia magna focusing on biochemical (acetylcholinesterase activity; AChE), physiological (heart rate), and behavioural (swimming) endpoints. We found dose-dependent increases in AChE and inhibitory effects on heart rate and behaviour for both substances. Moreover, acesulfame induced a biphasic response in AChE activity, inhibiting it at lower concentrations and stimulating at higher ones. For all endpoints, the EC50 values were lower for acesulfame than for sucralose. Additionally, the relationship between acetylcholinesterase and heart rate differed depending on the substance, suggesting possible differences in the mode of action between sucralose and acesulfame. All observed EC50 values were at μg/l levels, i.e., within the levels reported for wastewater, with adverse effects observed at as low as 0.1 μg acesulfame /l. Our findings emphasise the need to re-evaluate risk assessment thresholds for artificial sweeteners and provide evidence for the neurotoxic effects of artificial sweeteners in the environment, informing international regulatory standards.
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
- Eriksson Wiklund, Ann-Kristin, et al.
(författare)
-
Stockholm förorenade bottnar - vad händer om de syresätts?
- 2003
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Bottensedimenten i vattnen runt Stockholm är kraftigtförorenade av både metaller och organiska miljögifter.Syrebrist råder på en stor del av bottnarna, vilket innebäratt djur är sparsamt förekommande och att arter känsligaför syrebrist helt saknas inom stora områden.Under sådana dåliga syreförhållanden är metallernabundna som svårlösliga sulfider och tas inte upp av delevande organismer som eventuellt finns. Detta harskapat oro för vad som händer om vi lyckas förbättra syreförhållandenaoch djuren kommer åter. Kommer metallernadå att frigöras ur sedimenten och komma ut i detlevande kretsloppet igen? Och vad händer med de organiskamiljögifterna? Våra resultat visar att syresättningav sedimenten inte ökar riskerna.
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| 24. |
- Furuhagen, Sara
(författare)
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Integrative approaches in ecotoxicological testing: Implications for biomarker development and application
- 2013
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Ecotoxicology aims to understand toxic effects of chemicals in the environment. Effects can be observed at different levels of the biological organization, from molecular to ecosystem level. Biomarkers on molecular and biochemical levels are used in ecotoxicology as early warning signals of chemical exposure, possible toxic effects and underlying mechanisms. As methods and technologies improve, more biomarkers are being implemented in ecotoxicological studies, due to the general interest in early detection and thus efficient prevention of environmental risks. However, to be of value in ecotoxicological assessment, a connection between biomarker response and effects at higher levels of biological organization should be established. Also, baseline variability for the biomarker in question as well as response to natural fluctuations of environmental factors should be evaluated.The aim of this thesis was to increase value and understanding of biomarkers in ecotoxicological assessment by (1) linking responses across different levels of biological organization, and (2) gaining better understanding of the relative importance of ecological and physiological factors affecting oxidative biomarkers.Paper I is focused on evolutionary conserved drug targets and the toxicity of pharmaceuticals for non-target organisms. The main conclusion from this study is that pharmaceuticals with conserved drug targets in non-target organisms have a higher toxicity than pharmaceuticals for which drug-targets have not been identified in the species. The effects were evaluated using end points at molecular, biochemical and individual levels. Consistent with the expected higher sensitivity of molecular and biochemical end points, the effects on the low-level biomarkers were observed at lower concentrations than at the individual level. Paper II is focused on delineating effects of feeding and toxic exposure on oxidative biomarkers commonly used in ecotoxicology. The results are in agreement with the theory of caloric restriction that links enhanced caloric intake to increased pro-oxidative processes in animals. In our experiments with the cladoceran Daphnia magna, we observed positive effects for both antioxidant capacity and oxidized lipids in response to enhanced feeding rates. This have implications for the use of oxidative stress biomarkers in ecotoxicology as many substances have inhibitory effects on feeding rate and thus, changes in oxidative biomarkers can result from the altered feeding rate rather than other toxic mechanisms. Therefore, possible changes in feeding rate should be assessed when conducting exposure experiments or interpreting field data in studies employing oxidative stress biomarkers. However, it was concluded that the ratio between antioxidative capacity and protein content was independent of feeding rate. Thus, this biomarker is suitable for xenobiotic exposure in D. magna. This thesis have contributed to better understanding of molecular and biochemical biomarkers in ecotoxicological studies in regard to the connections between effects at different biological levels and confounding factors in biomarker response.
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| 25. |
- Granberg, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Microlitter in arctic marine benthic food chains and potential effects on sediment dwelling fauna
- 2020
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Ingår i: TemaNord report. - : Nordic Council of Ministers. ; :528
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Marine litter pollution affects oceans globally and has today also made its way to the pristine arctic environment adding to the microlitter from local pollution sources. Marine litter pollution is recognized as a serious threat to the marine environment at all levels, from the UN to regional (EU, OSPAR, HELCOM) and national authorities. The risk posed by microlitter to marine biota is related to their documented ubiquity and long residence time in marine ecosystems. Risks are also mediated by intrinsic toxicity of added chemicals and potential adsorbance of other pollutants. When released into the marine environment, a major part of microlitter likely accumulate in beach sand and marine sediments either immediately or after acquiring a biofilm. It is therefore expected that benthic food chains will be key to understanding fate and effects (i.e. concentrations, potential trophic transfer and biological impact) of microlitter in the marine environment. The overall aim of the project was to determine abundance of microlitter pollution in marine sediments and benthic food chains in the Arctic, and to evaluate the abundance in relation to potential local sources and background levels. The aim was also to investigate potential effects of microplastic pollution on benthic organisms through laboratory studies using an arctic amphipod as a model organism. The field investigations in Svalbard, Norway and Greenland focused on determining microlitter particle concentrations and characteristics in marine sediments and biota collected close to and far from potential local pollution sources and pathways, i.e. outlets of untreated wastewater and effluents from a dumping site in Sisimiut, West Greenland and outlets of treated (Ny-Ålesund) and untreated (Longyearbyen) wastewater in Svalbard. Overall, higher concentrations and a higher diversity of microlitter types and polymers were found in sediments and organisms (blue mussels and cod) closer to human settlements (wastewater outlets and dumping sites) and in places where lost and/or dumped fishing gear accumulate. Thus, we can confidently conclude that local pollution sources for anthropogenic microlitter do exist in the Arctic. The experimental studies investigated whether environmentally relevant and future predicted concentrations of microplastics could impact feeding rate, microplastic ingestion, respiration and locomotion activity in an arctic sediment dwelling amphipod. The experimental results confirm previous microplastics studies on marine invertebrates showing effect only at very high concentrations not yet relevant in the arctic environment. The shape of the plastic particles was found to affect the particle fate. While microplastic fragments were ingested, short microplastic fibres attached to the carapace of the amphipods and likely obstructed normal ventilation behaviour. Furthermore, biofilm cover was found to affect the behaviour and effects of the particles. Microlitter naturally become covered by biofilms in the environment and our results stress the importance of effect experiments being carried out using naturally fouled plastics for ecological relevance. This report provides both environmental- and impact data related to microlitter pollution in the arctic marine environment. Although the levels of microplastics required to cause effects in experimental organisms in this study were much higher than what was detected in the field, there may be other species that are more sensitive than the one tested in nature. The currently relatively low microlitter concentrations detected in the field should be considered as a “window of opportunity” to act to at least reduce local pollution. Consequently, introduction of sustainable waste management and wastewater treatment should be an important focus of local management initiatives.
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| 26. |
- Kumblad, Linda, et al.
(författare)
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Response and recovery of Baltic Sea blue mussels from exposure to pharmaceuticals
- 2015
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Ingår i: Marine Ecology Progress Series. - : Inter-Research Science Center. - 0171-8630 .- 1616-1599. ; 526, s. 89-100
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Physiological responses to, and recovery from, exposure to 3 concentrations of a pharmaceutical mixture (diclofenac and propranolol) were examined experimentally in Baltic Sea blue mussels Mytilus edulis trossulus collected with increasing distance to a wastewater treatment plant (WTP) outlet. Respiration, absorption efficiency and consumption were measured, and also combined into scope for growth (SFG). The response and recovery patterns varied both between exposure concentrations and sampling site within the bay. After exposure, mussels exposed to the highest concentration (2000 mu g l(-1)) in general had lower SFG, and mussels from 2 (out of 3) sites exposed to the medium concentration (200 mu g l(-1)) had higher SFG than the controls. In general, mussels from the 2 sites nearest the WTP recovered from the exposure response, while individuals collected further from the WTP outlet were more affected by the exposure and did not recover to the same extent. The response pattern of consumption was mainly affected by exposure concentration, whereas respiration was affected by all 3 factors (concentration, time of measurement, sampling site). Absorption efficiency was not affected at all. The differences in responses and recovery patterns could possibly be explained by the mussels sampled closer to the WTP having a history of higher food availability, improving their general health status, and/or a history of pre-exposure to natural disturbances, as well as to the test substances, via the WTP effluent. Pre-exposure to stressors could have both positive and negative impact on a community by increasing the resilience towards some stressors, but may also reduce the adaptability when facing other stressors.
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| 27. |
- Lagerström, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Flawed risk assessment of antifouling paints leads to exceedance of guideline values in Baltic Sea marinas
- 2020
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Pollution Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0944-1344 .- 1614-7499. ; 27:22, s. 27674-27687
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The seasonal variations of dissolved and bioavailable copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) were studied in two recreational marinas in Sweden and Finland. The time series from the two marinas were characterized by rising concentrations during the spring boat launching, elevated concentrations all through the peak boating season, and decreasing concentrations in autumn when boats were retrieved for winter storage. This pattern shows a clear link between Cu and Zn concentrations and boating activity, with antifouling paints as the principal source. The leaching from antifouling paints was also found to significantly alter the speciation of dissolved Cu and Zn in marina waters, with an increase of the proportion of metals that may be considered bioavailable. This change in speciation, which occurred without any change in dissolved organic carbon (DOC), further increases the environmental risk posed by antifouling paints. In the Swedish marina, dissolved Cu and Zn exceed both Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) and Predicted No Effect Concentrations (PNEC), indicating that the current Swedish risk assessment (RA) of antifouling paints is failing to adequately protect the marine environment. An evaluation of the RA performance showed the underlying cause to be an underestimation of the predicted environmental concentration (PEC) by factors of 2 and 5 for Cu and Zn, respectively. For both metals, the use of inaccurate release rates for the PEC derivation was found to be either mainly (Cu) or partly (Zn) responsible for the underestimation. For Zn, the largest source of error seems to be the use of an inappropriate partitioning coefficient (K-D) in the model. To ensure that the use of antifouling coatings does not adversely impact the sensitive Baltic Sea, it is thus recommended that the K-D value for Zn is revised and that representative release rates are used in the RA procedure.
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| 28. |
- Lagerström, Maria, 1986-
(författare)
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Occurrence and environmental risk assessment of antifouling paint biocides from leisure boats
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The use of biocidal antifouling (AF) paints is the most common way to prevent fouling on leisure boat hulls. The main aim of this thesis was to investigate the pathways through which AF biocides, past and present, may reach the environment through their use on leisure boats and to improve the risk assessment of biocidal AF paints intended for amateur use. The work presented focuses mainly on the Baltic Sea, with emphasis on regulation and risk assessment procedures in Sweden. A new method was developed for the quantification of nowadays banned organotin compounds (OTCs) such as tributyltin (TBT) in paint flakes (paper I). OTCs were detected in hull paint scrapings from three countries around the Baltic Sea. Thus, historic layers of organotin paint on leisure boats may constitute as sources of TBT to the marine environment. Total tin was identified as an indicator for the presence of OTCs on boat hulls, allowing for quicker identification of vessels in need of remediation. Nowadays, most AF paints tend to contain high amounts of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). The use of AF paints was shown to cause exceedance of guideline values for these two metals in soil, sediment and water in various investigated marinas (papers II and IV). The pollution of boatyard soil was linked to hull maintenance activities carried out over unprotected ground (paper II). AF paints were also found to impact both the concentration and speciation of dissolved Cu and Zn in two Baltic Sea marinas, with increased concentrations as well as an increased proportion of bioavailable species as a function of an increased number of moored boats (paper IV). A new method utilizing X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) was used to derive the release rates of Cu and Zn in the field for five commercially available AF paints for amateur use (paper III). Salinity and paint properties were found to be important parameters affecting the release. The in situ release rates were also found to exceed those derived with current standardized release rate methods. Given the high release rates, none of the studied paints should have been approved for the Swedish market. This finding likely explains the exceedance of guideline values for dissolved Cu and Zn in investigated Baltic Sea marinas (paper IV). In conclusion, there is a need for caution when authorizing new biocides as the phasing out of banned substances can be a lengthy process due to their continued presence in historic paint layers. Additionally, paint-specific release rates determined under conditions reflecting the intended use of the product should be used for a more realistic environmental risk assessment of AF paints.
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| 29. |
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| 30. |
- Mustajärvi, Lukas, et al.
(författare)
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How Important is Bioturbation for Sediment-to-Water Flux of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Baltic Sea?
- 2019
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Ingår i: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. - : Wiley. - 0730-7268 .- 1552-8618. ; 38:8, s. 1803-1810
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the present study a recently developed benthic flow-through chamber was used to assess the sediment-to-water flux of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at 4 sites on the Swedish Baltic Sea coast. The flow-through chamber allows for assessment of the potential effect of bioturbation on the sediment-to-water flux of hydrophobic organic contaminants. The sediments at the 4 investigated sites have both varying contamination degree and densities of bioturbating organisms. The flux of individual PAHs measured with the flow-through chamber ranged between 21 and 510, 11 and 370, 3 and 9700, and 62 and 2300 ng m(-2) d(-1) for the 4 sites. To assess the potential effect of bioturbation on the sediment-to-water flux, 3 flow-through and closed chambers were deployed in parallel at each site. The activity of benthic organisms is attenuated or halted because of depletion of oxygen in closed benthic chambers. Therefore, the discrepancy in flux measured with the 2 different chamber designs was used as an indication of a possible effect of bioturbation. A potential effect of bioturbation on the sediment-to-water flux by a factor of 3 to 55 was observed at sites with a high density of bioturbating organisms (e.g., Marenzelleria spp., Monoporeia affinis, and Macoma balthica of approximately 860-1200 individuals m(-2)) but not at the site with much lower organism density (<200 individuals m(-2)). One site had a high organism density and a low potential effect of bioturbation, which we hypothesize to be caused by the dominance of oligochaetes/polychaetes at this site because worms (Marenzelleria spp.) reach deeper into the sediment than native crustaceans and mollusks.
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| 31. |
- Mustajärvi, Lukas, et al.
(författare)
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In situ benthic flow-through chambers to determine sediment-to-water fluxes of legacy hydrophobic organic contaminants
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Environmental Pollution. - : Elsevier BV. - 0269-7491 .- 1873-6424. ; 231, s. 854-862
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Contaminated sediment can release hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) and thereby act as a secondary source of primarily legacy hazardous substances to the water column. There is therefore a need for assessments of the release of HOCs from contaminated sediment for prioritization of management actions. In situ assessment of HOC sediment-to-water flux is currently done with (closed) benthic flux chambers, which have a sampling time exceeding one month. During this time, the water inside the chamber is depleted of oxygen and the effect of bioturbation on the sediment-to-water release of HOCs is largely ignored. Here we present a novel benthic flux chamber, which measures sediment-to-water flux of legacy HOCs within days, and includes the effect of bioturbation since ambient oxygen levels inside the chamber are maintained by continuous pumping of water through the chamber. This chamber design allows for sediment-to-water flux measurements under more natural conditions. The chamber design was tested in a contaminated Baltic Sea bay. Measured fluxes were 62–2300 ng m−2 d−1 for individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and 5.5–150 ng m−2 d−1 for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). These fluxes were 3–23 times (PAHs) and 12–74 times (PCBs) higher than fluxes measured with closed benthic chambers deployed in parallel at the same location. We hypothesize that the observed difference in HOC flux between the two chamber designs are partly an effect of bioturbation. This hypothesized effect of bioturbation was in accordance with literature data from experimental studies.
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| 32. |
- Mustajärvi, Lukas, et al.
(författare)
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Transferring mixtures of chemicals from sediment to a bioassay using silicone-based passive sampling and dosing
- 2017
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Ingår i: Environmental Science. - 2050-7887 .- 2050-7895. ; 19:11, s. 1404-1413
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)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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| 33. |
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| 34. |
- Oskarsson, Hanna, et al.
(författare)
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Community Interactions Modify the Effects of Pharmaceutical Exposure : A Microcosm Study on Responses to Propranolol in Baltic Sea Coastal Organisms
- 2014
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:4
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study investigated the uptake and effects of a common human pharmaceutical, propranolol, on the structure and function of a coastal Baltic Sea model community consisting of macroalga (Ceramium tenuicorne), mussels (Mytilus edulis trossulus), amphipods (Gammarus spp.), water and sediment. The most sensitive species, the mussel, was affected to the same extent as in previous single species studies, while the effects on the amphipod and alga were smaller or even positive compared to experiments performed in less complex test systems. The observed cascade of beneficial effects was a result of inter-specific species interactions that buffered for more severe effects. The poor condition of the mussel led to a feeding shift from alga to mussel by the amphipods. The better food quality, due to the dietary shift, counteracted the effects of the exposure. Less amphipod grazing, together with increased levels of nutrients in the water was favourable for the alga, despite the negative effects of propranolol. This microcosm study showed effects on organisms on different organizational levels as well as interactions among the different components resulting in indirect exposure effects of both functional and structural nature. The combination of both direct and indirect effects would not have been detected using simpler single- or even two-species study designs. The observed structural changes would in the natural environment have a long-term influence on ecosystem function, especially in a low-biodiversity ecosystem like the Baltic Sea.
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| 35. |
- Oskarsson, Hanna, et al.
(författare)
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Effect studies of human pharmaceuticals on Fucus vesiculosus and Gammarus spp
- 2012
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Ingår i: Marine Environmental Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0141-1136 .- 1879-0291. ; 74, s. 1-8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In two experiments, the human pharmaceutical propranolol negatively affected the physiology of two test organisms, Fucus vesiculosus and Gammarus spp. from a Baltic Sea littoral community in a concentration of 1000 mu g l(-1). Some effects were also observed for the lower, more ecologically relevant concentrations (10 mu g l(-1) and 100 mu g l(-1)). The effects on E vesiculosus not only increased with increasing concentration, but also with exposure time; while the effects on Gammarus spp. were more inconsistent over time. No clear effects of the pharmaceuticals diclofenac and ibuprofen were observed for any of the organisms. Physiological parameters measured were GP:R-ratio, chlorophyll fluorescence and release of coloured dissolved organic matter, respiration and ammonium excretion. Pharmaceutical substances are repeatedly detected in the Baltic Sea which is the recipient for SIP effluents from more than 85 million people living in the catchment area, but the knowledge of their effects on non-target organisms is still very limited.
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| 36. |
- Oskarsson, Hanna, 1983-
(författare)
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Pharmaecological perspectives : Exposure studies using coastal Baltic Sea organisms
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis investigates the effects of pharmaceutical substances on coastal Baltic Sea organisms. Despite an increasing awareness of the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in various aquatic compartments, current knowledge of their possible effects on non-target organisms is limited. Especially scarce is the knowledge concerning possible long-term effects, mixture-effects, effects on non-standard test organisms and indirect effects from interactions among organisms. Also the environmental fate, availability and distribution of pharmaceuticals between sediment, water and biota is only rarely investigated.The aim of this thesis was therefore to investigate the biological effects of pharmaceuticals, and their distribution in organisms of a coastal Baltic Sea community. In four studies, blue mussels, amphipods and macroalgae were exposed to pharmaceuticals in laboratory experiments. The effects from exposure, as well as recovery from the same, were studied on different physiological variables. With increasing complexity of experiment designs, the tested substances were found to affect aquatic organisms from different hierarchical levels both through direct negative effects, as well as through indirect positive effects within model communities. Moreover, the studies showed that the organisms were affected by exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations, but also that exposed organisms could recover from the exposure. Effects from pharmaceutical mixtures occurred in lower concentrations than effects from single pharmaceutical substances, and high internal concentrations of two pharmaceuticals – diclofenac and propranolol – were detected in exposed organisms.The detected effects and the uptake of pharmaceuticals in biota demonstrate a possible problem for aquatic environments, but especially for the Baltic Sea, since this is a naturally sensitive ecosystem with low species diversity, low functional redundancy and a history of heavy pollution.
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| 37. |
- Reutgard, Martin, et al.
(författare)
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Embryo development of the benthic amphipod Monoporeia affinis as a tool for monitoring and assessment of biological effects of contaminants in the field : A meta-analysis
- 2014
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Ingår i: Ecological Indicators. - : Elsevier BV. - 1470-160X .- 1872-7034. ; 36, s. 483-490
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Embryo malformations in the benthic amphipod Monoporeia affinis have been used as a biological effect indicator of chemical contaminants for more than three decades. The results from field studies along the Swedish Baltic Sea coast, comprising more than 50,000 analyzed embryos, were synthesized using a meta-analytic approach. This approach generated a quantitative and statistically defensible summary and enabled us to explore potential causative factors. The study aimed at evaluating the usefulness of embryo malformations as a biological effect indicator of chemical contaminants in the field. The result shows that malformations in M. affinis are ubiquitous in polluted areas and are negatively correlated with distance from main sources of contaminants. The result also shows that malformations are significantly more frequent up to more than 10 km from point sources. We conclude that embryo malformations in M. affinis can provide useful information for management and environmental policy in the Baltic Sea region as: (1) the present study supports evidence from controlled laboratory studies that there is a cause and effect relationship between embryo malformations and contaminants; (2) the study suggests that the indicator is contaminant-sensitive and can therefore serve as an early warning of biological effects in the field; (3) the indicator is general, suggesting that it has capability to monitor and detect effects of a wide variety of known, and yet unknown, chemical contaminants. The usefulness is further strengthened by the fact that M. affinis is a widely distributed species that plays a fundamental role in the Baltic Sea ecosystem. Future research should increase the understanding of how environmental factors affect the indicator response and if the response is related to effects at lower and higher levels of biological organization.
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| 38. |
- Sundelin, Brita, et al.
(författare)
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Vitmärlans embryonalutveckling
- 2005
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Vitmärlans embryoutveckling används som en effektvarabel för att detektera förekomsten av förorenade sediment. Exempelvis har andelen missbildade ägg hos vitmärla visat sig korrelera till exponering för olika miljögifter. Under perioden 1994–2000 minskade andelen missbildade embryon i Bottenhavet. Efter den dramatiska populationsnedgången som observerades 1999 har kurvan över missbildade embryon planat ut År 2004 var andelen missbildade embryon högre än tidigare år på de flesta stationer. Det är dock för tidigt att uttala sig om missbildade embryon är på väg att öka i Bottenhavet. Under hela perioden uppvisar kuststationerna utanför Norrbyn och utsjöstationen utanför Härnösand en högre andel missbildade embryon än de stationer som ligger längre ut från kusten utanför Örnsköldsvik.
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| 39. |
- Sundelin, Brita, et al.
(författare)
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Vitmärlans reproduktion i Vänern och Vättern 2002
- 2002
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Vitmärlans (Monoporeia affinis) fekunditet (ägg/hona) är signifikant lägre i Vättern jämfört med Vänern under perioden 1999-2002. Under perioden 1996-2002 registreras dock en ökande fekunditet i Vättern. Resultaten måste emellertid betraktas som osäkra med tanke på en mycket högre fekunditeten under 2002 i Vättern, som kan ha påverkat trenden. Det finns ett starkt samband mellan fekunditet och näringstillgång. Fettsyresammansättningen i vitmärla skiljer sig mellan sjöarna under 2001 då fekunditeten var mycket låg i Vättern medan skillnaderna i fettsyresammansättning minskade under 2002. En högre näringstillgång i form av kiselalger i Vättern under 2001 skulle kunna vara förklaringen till den förändradefettsyresammansättningen och högre fekunditeten hos vitmärlan i januari 2002 i Vättern.Andelen odifferentierade ägg och döda äggsamlingar hos honan är högre i Vättern än i Vänern under perioden 1999-2002. Även under 2002 skiljer sig sjöarna. Fekunditeten är starkt negativt korrelerad till andelen odifferentierade och döda ägg i båda sjöarna och vår hypotes är att födobrist bidrar till uppkomsten av de odifferentierade äggen.Missbildade embryon som ger ett mått på exponeringen för miljögifter skiljer sig inte signifikant mellan Vänern och Vättern under 1999-2002, eventuellt beroende på inhomogenaprov. Under 2001 var provmängderna mer homogena och en högre andel missbildade embryon registrerades i Vättern jämfört med Vänern. Den högsta andelen missbildadeembryon fanns på station 3 utanför Hjo där även den lägsta fekunditeten observerades. Det finns dock ingen korrelation mellan fekunditet och missbildade embryon. Under perioden1996-2002 minskade missbildningarna i Vättern. Sedimenthalterna av metaller är genomgående högre i Vänern än i Vättern med undantag för Cd som visar jämförbara halter i båda sjöarna. Trots den högre exponeringen i Vänernsediment registrerades en lägre frekvensmissbildade embryon än i Vättern och vår hypotes är att den lägre näringsnivån i Vättern kan förstärka effekterna av miljögifter.Under 2001 och 2002 observerades både honor och hannar av vitmärla som var minst 2 månader försenade i sin sexuella utveckling. Andelen vitmärlor med försenad sexuellutveckling var högre i Vänern än i Vättern och en ökning registrerades mellan 2001 och 2002.På den mest påverkade stationen i Vänern (stn 2) var 80 % av den vuxna populationen i avvikande utvecklingsfas. Hannarna var mer försenade i sin utveckling än honorna. Av de honor som inte befruktats utan fortfarande bar sina oocyter (ägganlag) hade en större andel degenererade oocyter, vilket innebär att befruktning inte längre är möjlig. Hormonnivåerna hos honor med degenererade ägganlag var mycket låga till obefintliga. Orsaken till de kraftigareproduktionsstörningarna är oklara men skadorna har uppkommit under en period då både Vänern och Vättern tillförts mycket stora vattenflöden. En mängd olika substanser i tillflödena kan ha orsakat effekterna. Det är dock inte troligt att kraftigt hormonstörandeämnen tillförts Vänern då hormonnivåer i juvenila vitmärlor inte skilde sig jämfört med vitmärlepopulationer från Östersjön av samma årsklass och ålder. Effekterna är dockalarmerande och bör följas upp.
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| 41. |
- Wiklund, Ann-Kristin Eriksson, et al.
(författare)
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Spring development of hydrolittoral rock shore communities on wave-exposed and sheltered sites in the northern Baltic proper
- 2012
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Ingår i: Oceanologia. - : Elsevier BV. - 0078-3234. ; 54:1, s. 75-107
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Spring development in the hydrolittoral zone was investigated at five wave-sheltered and five wave-exposed sites on four occasions from late March to late May (every third week). The number of species was higher at the sheltered locations and increased significantly over time. The difference in community structure was significant: over 95% of the Bray-Curtis dissimilarities were due to the biomass of only eleven taxa, and the total Bray-Curtis dissimilarity between exposed and sheltered sites was 75%. Macroalgae made up 70-80% of the total biomass and was dominated by filamentous species. In contrast to previous studies, macroalgal biomass was higher at the exposed sites, which may be due to the fact that this was a spring study, unlike previous studies, which were conducted during summer.
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| 42. |
- Wiklund, Ann-Kristin Eriksson, et al.
(författare)
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Sucralose - An ecotoxicological challenger?
- 2012
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Ingår i: Chemosphere. - : Elsevier BV. - 0045-6535 .- 1879-1298. ; 86:1, s. 50-55
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The non-calorie sweetener sucralose - sucrose containing three chlorine atoms - is intensively sweet and has become a popular substitute for sugar. Its widespread use, exceptional stability in combination with high water solubility have thus resulted in contamination of recipient waters. Earlier studies on sucralose in aquatic organisms indicate low bioaccumulation potential and negligible acute/chronic toxicity, but the close structural resemblance with sucrose in combination with the importance of sugar in nature, warrant a more detailed ecotoxicological assessment. The aim of this investigation was therefore to study behavioural and physiological effects of sucralose in crustaceans. Our results show that both physiology and locomotion behaviour were affected by exposure to sucralose. In Daphnia magna, the behavioural response was manifested as altered swimming height and increased swimming speed, whereas in gammarids the time to reach food and shelter was prolonged. Regardless if these behavioural responses were initiated via traditional toxic mechanisms or stimulatory effects, they should be considered as a warning, since exposed organisms may diverge from normal behaviour, which ultimately can have ecological consequences.
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| 43. |
- Wiklund, Ann-Kristin Eriksson, et al.
(författare)
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Sucralose Induces Biochemical Responses in Daphnia magna
- 2014
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:4, s. e92771-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The intense artificial sweetener sucralose has no bioconcentration properties, and no adverse acute toxic effects have been observed in standard ecotoxicity tests, suggesting negligible environmental risk. However, significant feeding and behavioural alterations have been reported in non-standard tests using aquatic crustaceans, indicating possible sublethal effects. We hypothesized that these effects are related to alterations in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and oxidative status in the exposed animals and investigated changes in AChE and oxidative biomarkers (oxygen radical absorbing capacity, ORAC, and lipid peroxidation, TBARS) in the crustacean Daphnia magna exposed to sucralose (0.0001-5 mg L-1). The sucralose concentration was a significant positive predictor for ORAC, TBARS and AChE in the daphnids. Moreover, the AChE response was linked to both oxidative biomarkers, with positive and negative relationships for TBARS and ORAC, respectively. These joint responses support our hypothesis and suggest that exposure to sucralose may induce neurological and oxidative mechanisms with potentially important consequences for animal behaviour and physiology.
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| 44. |
- Wrange, Anna-Lisa, et al.
(författare)
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Monitoring biofouling as a management tool for reducing toxic antifouling practices in the Baltic Sea
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Management. - : Academic Press. - 0301-4797 .- 1095-8630. ; 264
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Over two million leisure boats use the coastal areas of the Baltic Sea for recreational purposes. The majority of these boats are painted with toxic antifouling paints that release biocides into the coastal ecosystems and negatively impact non-targeted species. Regulations concerning the use of antifouling paints differ dramatically between countries bordering the Baltic Sea and most of them lack the support of biological data. In the present study, we collected data on biofouling in 17 marinas along the Baltic Sea coast during three consecutive boating seasons (May–October 2014, 2015 and 2016). In this context, we compared different monitoring strategies and developed a fouling index (FI) to characterise marinas according to the recorded biofouling abundance and type (defined according to the hardness and strength of attachment to the substrate). Lower FI values, i.e. softer and/or less abundant biofouling, were consistently observed in marinas in the northern Baltic Sea. The decrease in FI from the south-western to the northern Baltic Sea was partially explained by the concomitant decrease in salinity. Nevertheless, most of the observed changes in biofouling seemed to be determined by local factors and inter-annual variability, which emphasizes the necessity for systematic monitoring of biofouling by end-users and/or authorities for the effective implementation of non-toxic antifouling alternatives in marinas. Based on the obtained results, we discuss how monitoring programs and other related measures can be used to support adaptive management strategies towards more sustainable antifouling practices in the Baltic Sea. © 2020 The Authors
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| 45. |
- Ytreberg, Erik, 1980, et al.
(författare)
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Förbättrad riskbedömning av båtbottenfärger
- 2020
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Ett obehandlat båtskrov riskerar att snabbt bli beväxt av tusentals olika växt- och djurarter. Detta så kallade påväxttryck varierar stort mellan olika vattenområden och är t.ex. lägre i Östersjön än vad det är i Kattegatt. Påväxten ökar friktionen mellan skrov och vatten vilket gör att båten går långsammare. För att bibehålla samma fart krävs en högre bränsleförbrukning vilket leder till ökade luftutsläpp. För att förhindra påväxt målas oftast fritidsbåtsskrov med giftig, biocidinnehållande båtbottenfärg, även kallade antifoulingfärg. Dessa färger är designade att läcka biocider till det omgivande vattnet och skapar därigenom en hög koncentration av biociden vid gränsskiktet mellan skrov och vatten vilket förhindrar att påväxtorganismer kan fästa till båtskrovet. Färger som innehåller och läcker biocider måste tillståndsprövas innan de får lanseras på marknaden inom Europeiska Unionen (EU). I denna tillståndsprövning måste färgtillverkaren genomföra en miljöriskbedömning av färgen för att visa att läckaget av biocider inte ger oacceptabla risker för miljön. Vid miljöriskbedömningen är läckagehastigheten av biocider från färg till vatten den viktigaste parametern, vilken styr om produkten kommer få ett godkännande för användning eller ej. I dagsläget används två olika standardiserade tekniker för att bestämma läckagehastigheter, en laborativ och en matematisk. Vid en jämförelse med andra fältmetoder har dock dessa metoder visat sig ha begränsad förmåga att prediktera läckagehastigheter. Med en ny metod, baserad på röntgenflourescens (XRF), kan läckagehastigheter från olika färger bestämmas på ett snabbt och enkelt sätt. Genom att måla paneler med färger innehållande olika koncentrationer av koppar och zink kan metoden först användas för att mäta mängd metaller som finns i det målade färgskiktet. Därefter kan panelen antingen sänkas ned i olika hamnar eller fästas på skrov och efter en viss tid i vatten åter analyseras med XRF. Genom att mäta med XRF-metoden före nedsänkandet och sedan efter en viss tid i vatten, får man information om hur mycket koppar och zink som läckt ut från färgen till havsmiljön.
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