Contaminated suspended sediments toxic to an Antarctic filter feeder: Aqueous‐ and particulate‐phase effects
Abstract Disturbances such as dredging, storms, and bioturbation result in the resuspension of sediments. This may affect sessile organisms that live on hard substrates directly above the sediment. Localized sediment contamination exists around many Antarctic research stations, often resulting in el...
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crwiley:10.1897/08-328.1 2024-09-15T17:45:39+00:00 Contaminated suspended sediments toxic to an Antarctic filter feeder: Aqueous‐ and particulate‐phase effects Hill, Nicole A. King, Catherine K. Perrett, Lisa A. Johnston, Emma L. 2009 http://dx.doi.org/10.1897/08-328.1 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1897%2F08-328.1 https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1897/08-328.1 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry volume 28, issue 2, page 409-417 ISSN 0730-7268 1552-8618 journal-article 2009 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1897/08-328.1 2024-07-30T04:19:49Z Abstract Disturbances such as dredging, storms, and bioturbation result in the resuspension of sediments. This may affect sessile organisms that live on hard substrates directly above the sediment. Localized sediment contamination exists around many Antarctic research stations, often resulting in elevated contamination loads in marine sediments. To our knowledge, the potential impact of resuspended contaminated sediments on sessile fauna has not been considered, so in the present study, we assessed the sensitivity of Antarctic spirorbid polychaetes to aqueous metals and to metal‐contaminated sediments that had been experimentally resuspended. Worms were first exposed to aqueous metals, both singly and in combination, over 10 d. Spirorbid mortality was tolerant to copper (median lethal concentration [LC50], 570 μg/L), zinc (LC50, >4,910 μg/L), and lead (LC50, >2,905 μg/L); however, spirorbid behavior responded to copper concentrations as low as 20μg/L. When in combination, zinc significantly reduced mortality caused by copper. A novel technique was used to resuspend sediments spiked with four concentrations of three metals (up to 450 μg/g dry wt of copper, 525 μg/g dry wt of lead, and 2,035 μg/g dry wt of zinc). The response of spirorbids to unfiltered suspended sediment solutions and filtered solutions (aqueous metal exposure) was measured. Suspended sediments were toxic to filter‐feeding spirorbids at concentrations approximating those found in contaminated Antarctica areas. Toxicity resulted both from aqueous metals and from metals associated with the suspended sediments, although suspended clean sediments had no impact. To our knowledge, the present study is the first to show that resuspension of contaminated sediments can be an important pathway for toxicity to Antarctic hard substrate organisms. Based on the present results, current sediment‐quality guidelines used in the evaluation of Australian sediments may be applicable to Antarctic ecosystems. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Wiley Online Library Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 28 2 409 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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English |
description |
Abstract Disturbances such as dredging, storms, and bioturbation result in the resuspension of sediments. This may affect sessile organisms that live on hard substrates directly above the sediment. Localized sediment contamination exists around many Antarctic research stations, often resulting in elevated contamination loads in marine sediments. To our knowledge, the potential impact of resuspended contaminated sediments on sessile fauna has not been considered, so in the present study, we assessed the sensitivity of Antarctic spirorbid polychaetes to aqueous metals and to metal‐contaminated sediments that had been experimentally resuspended. Worms were first exposed to aqueous metals, both singly and in combination, over 10 d. Spirorbid mortality was tolerant to copper (median lethal concentration [LC50], 570 μg/L), zinc (LC50, >4,910 μg/L), and lead (LC50, >2,905 μg/L); however, spirorbid behavior responded to copper concentrations as low as 20μg/L. When in combination, zinc significantly reduced mortality caused by copper. A novel technique was used to resuspend sediments spiked with four concentrations of three metals (up to 450 μg/g dry wt of copper, 525 μg/g dry wt of lead, and 2,035 μg/g dry wt of zinc). The response of spirorbids to unfiltered suspended sediment solutions and filtered solutions (aqueous metal exposure) was measured. Suspended sediments were toxic to filter‐feeding spirorbids at concentrations approximating those found in contaminated Antarctica areas. Toxicity resulted both from aqueous metals and from metals associated with the suspended sediments, although suspended clean sediments had no impact. To our knowledge, the present study is the first to show that resuspension of contaminated sediments can be an important pathway for toxicity to Antarctic hard substrate organisms. Based on the present results, current sediment‐quality guidelines used in the evaluation of Australian sediments may be applicable to Antarctic ecosystems. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hill, Nicole A. King, Catherine K. Perrett, Lisa A. Johnston, Emma L. |
spellingShingle |
Hill, Nicole A. King, Catherine K. Perrett, Lisa A. Johnston, Emma L. Contaminated suspended sediments toxic to an Antarctic filter feeder: Aqueous‐ and particulate‐phase effects |
author_facet |
Hill, Nicole A. King, Catherine K. Perrett, Lisa A. Johnston, Emma L. |
author_sort |
Hill, Nicole A. |
title |
Contaminated suspended sediments toxic to an Antarctic filter feeder: Aqueous‐ and particulate‐phase effects |
title_short |
Contaminated suspended sediments toxic to an Antarctic filter feeder: Aqueous‐ and particulate‐phase effects |
title_full |
Contaminated suspended sediments toxic to an Antarctic filter feeder: Aqueous‐ and particulate‐phase effects |
title_fullStr |
Contaminated suspended sediments toxic to an Antarctic filter feeder: Aqueous‐ and particulate‐phase effects |
title_full_unstemmed |
Contaminated suspended sediments toxic to an Antarctic filter feeder: Aqueous‐ and particulate‐phase effects |
title_sort |
contaminated suspended sediments toxic to an antarctic filter feeder: aqueous‐ and particulate‐phase effects |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1897/08-328.1 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1897%2F08-328.1 https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1897/08-328.1 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica |
op_source |
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry volume 28, issue 2, page 409-417 ISSN 0730-7268 1552-8618 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1897/08-328.1 |
container_title |
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry |
container_volume |
28 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
409 |
_version_ |
1810493547258839040 |