Toxicity survey of Canadian Arctic marine sediments

• Published in: Journal of Soils and Sediments
• Main Authors: Canario, Joao, Poissant, Laurier, Pilote, Martin, Blaise, Christian, Constant, Philippe, Ferard, Jean-Francois, Gagne, Francois
• Other Authors: University of Lisbon, CQE, Inst Super Tecn, P-1049001 Lisbon, Portugal, Environm Canada, Fluvial Ecosyst Res, Aquat Ecosyst Protect Res Div, Water Sci & Technol Directorate, Montreal, PQ H2Y 2E7, Canada, Institut Armand Frappier (INRS-IAF), Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP)-Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique Québec (INRS), Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire des Environnements Continentaux (LIEC), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Terre et Environnement de Lorraine (OTELo), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Lorraine (UL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Lorraine (UL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut Ecologie et Environnement (INEE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2014
• Subjects: Canadian Arctic; Hudson Bay; Mercury; Northwest Passage; Sediments; Toxicity; [SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces; environment; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; Arctic; Hudson; ArcticNet; Climate change; Northwest passage
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01076335; https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-013-0792-1

International audience Purpose This paper reports a toxicity survey of Canadian Arctic marine sediments. During the Amundsen scientific cruise, eight sites distributed across the Canadian Arctic and sub-Arctic regions were selected to highlight sensitive areas affected by either atmospheric deposition, ocean current, river drainage, or anthropogenic activities. As part of the Canadian-led ArcticNet research program, this study aims to monitor and to better understand potential changes likely to impact the Arctic.Materials and methods Surface sediments were investigated with bioanalytical tests to assess sediment toxicity. Testing of sediment elutriates was undertaken with the ARTOXKIT M, Microtox liquid phase (MLPA), and ROTOXKIT M toxicity assays, while whole sediment testing was carried out with the Microtox solid phase assay (MSPA) toxicity test procedure. Sediment mercury (Hg) content was also determined in each sample since Hg transport and toxicity is specifically an important issue in the Arctic and is generally a key indicator of the pollution status in many aquatic ecosystems.Results and discussion Based on bioassay results and sediment granulometric criteria, these Arctic sediments must be considered nontoxic. However, based on MSPA half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) and/or MLPA threshold effect concentration (TEC) values, some degree of toxicity may be measureable particularly in the sediments located in southern and northeast Hudson Bay. The Hudson Bay watershed drains 30% of Canadian rivers and extends to northern USA. Despite the large Hg concern in the Arctic, the input of local or long-range Hg sources does not appear to be a contributing factor to sediment toxicity.Conclusions These initial results are valuable in that they set baseline quality levels for these sediments as of 2005. As such, future comparisons can be made to assess temporal and spatial trends. Human activity and climate change is expected to impact these regions in the future, resulting in further reduction of sea ...