Assessing risks from fuel contamination in Antarctica: Dynamics of diesel ageing in soil and toxicity to an endemic nematode
Fuel spills are a major source of contamination in terrestrial environments in Antarctica. Little is known of the effects of hydrocarbon contaminants in fuels on Antarctic terrestrial biota, and how these change as fuel ages within soil. In this study we investigate the sensitivity of juveniles of t...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114345 https://doaj.org/article/f4ee38d1a66049d78df2389b62d9110c |
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fttriple:oai:gotriple.eu:oai:doaj.org/article:f4ee38d1a66049d78df2389b62d9110c 2023-05-15T13:41:05+02:00 Assessing risks from fuel contamination in Antarctica: Dynamics of diesel ageing in soil and toxicity to an endemic nematode Kathryn E. Brown Jane Wasley Catherine K. King 2023-01-01 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114345 https://doaj.org/article/f4ee38d1a66049d78df2389b62d9110c en eng Elsevier 0147-6513 doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114345 https://doaj.org/article/f4ee38d1a66049d78df2389b62d9110c undefined Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, Vol 249, Iss , Pp 114345- (2023) Diesel fuel spill Weathering Terrestrial invertebrates Hydrocarbon toxicity Polar metabolites Plectus murrayi envir geo Journal Article https://vocabularies.coar-repositories.org/resource_types/c_6501/ 2023 fttriple https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114345 2023-01-22T19:14:26Z Fuel spills are a major source of contamination in terrestrial environments in Antarctica. Little is known of the effects of hydrocarbon contaminants in fuels on Antarctic terrestrial biota, and how these change as fuel ages within soil. In this study we investigate the sensitivity of juveniles of the endemic Antarctic nematode Plectus murrayi to diesel-spiked soil. Toxicity tests were conducted on soil elutriates, and changes in concentrations of hydrocarbons, polar compounds and PAHs were assessed as the spiked soil was artificially aged at 3 °C over a 45-week period, representing multiple summer seasons of fuel degradation. Nematodes were most sensitive to elutriates made from freshly spiked soils (LC50 419 μg/L TPH and 156 μg/L TPH-SG), with a subsequent decline in toxicity observed in the first 6 weeks of laboratory ageing (LC50 2945 μg/L TPH and 694 μg/L TPH-SG). Effects were still evident up to 45 weeks (lowest observed effect concentration 2123 μg/L TPH) despite hydrocarbons being depleted from soils with ageing (84 % loss) and elutriates becoming dominated by polar metabolites (95 % polar). Nematode sensitivity throughout the ageing period showed evidence of a relationship between LC50 and the proportions of the lighter carbon range fraction of TPH in elutriates, the F2 fraction (C10–14). This study is the first to estimate the sensitivity of Antarctic terrestrial fauna to diesel and provides novel data on the dynamics of fuel chemistry under Antarctic conditions and how this influences toxicity. Findings contribute to predicting ecological risk at existing diesel fuel spill sites in Antarctica, to the derivation of site-specific remediation targets, and to environmental guidelines to assess ecosystem health. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Unknown Antarctic Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 249 114345 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Unknown |
op_collection_id |
fttriple |
language |
English |
topic |
Diesel fuel spill Weathering Terrestrial invertebrates Hydrocarbon toxicity Polar metabolites Plectus murrayi envir geo |
spellingShingle |
Diesel fuel spill Weathering Terrestrial invertebrates Hydrocarbon toxicity Polar metabolites Plectus murrayi envir geo Kathryn E. Brown Jane Wasley Catherine K. King Assessing risks from fuel contamination in Antarctica: Dynamics of diesel ageing in soil and toxicity to an endemic nematode |
topic_facet |
Diesel fuel spill Weathering Terrestrial invertebrates Hydrocarbon toxicity Polar metabolites Plectus murrayi envir geo |
description |
Fuel spills are a major source of contamination in terrestrial environments in Antarctica. Little is known of the effects of hydrocarbon contaminants in fuels on Antarctic terrestrial biota, and how these change as fuel ages within soil. In this study we investigate the sensitivity of juveniles of the endemic Antarctic nematode Plectus murrayi to diesel-spiked soil. Toxicity tests were conducted on soil elutriates, and changes in concentrations of hydrocarbons, polar compounds and PAHs were assessed as the spiked soil was artificially aged at 3 °C over a 45-week period, representing multiple summer seasons of fuel degradation. Nematodes were most sensitive to elutriates made from freshly spiked soils (LC50 419 μg/L TPH and 156 μg/L TPH-SG), with a subsequent decline in toxicity observed in the first 6 weeks of laboratory ageing (LC50 2945 μg/L TPH and 694 μg/L TPH-SG). Effects were still evident up to 45 weeks (lowest observed effect concentration 2123 μg/L TPH) despite hydrocarbons being depleted from soils with ageing (84 % loss) and elutriates becoming dominated by polar metabolites (95 % polar). Nematode sensitivity throughout the ageing period showed evidence of a relationship between LC50 and the proportions of the lighter carbon range fraction of TPH in elutriates, the F2 fraction (C10–14). This study is the first to estimate the sensitivity of Antarctic terrestrial fauna to diesel and provides novel data on the dynamics of fuel chemistry under Antarctic conditions and how this influences toxicity. Findings contribute to predicting ecological risk at existing diesel fuel spill sites in Antarctica, to the derivation of site-specific remediation targets, and to environmental guidelines to assess ecosystem health. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kathryn E. Brown Jane Wasley Catherine K. King |
author_facet |
Kathryn E. Brown Jane Wasley Catherine K. King |
author_sort |
Kathryn E. Brown |
title |
Assessing risks from fuel contamination in Antarctica: Dynamics of diesel ageing in soil and toxicity to an endemic nematode |
title_short |
Assessing risks from fuel contamination in Antarctica: Dynamics of diesel ageing in soil and toxicity to an endemic nematode |
title_full |
Assessing risks from fuel contamination in Antarctica: Dynamics of diesel ageing in soil and toxicity to an endemic nematode |
title_fullStr |
Assessing risks from fuel contamination in Antarctica: Dynamics of diesel ageing in soil and toxicity to an endemic nematode |
title_full_unstemmed |
Assessing risks from fuel contamination in Antarctica: Dynamics of diesel ageing in soil and toxicity to an endemic nematode |
title_sort |
assessing risks from fuel contamination in antarctica: dynamics of diesel ageing in soil and toxicity to an endemic nematode |
publisher |
Elsevier |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114345 https://doaj.org/article/f4ee38d1a66049d78df2389b62d9110c |
geographic |
Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica |
op_source |
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, Vol 249, Iss , Pp 114345- (2023) |
op_relation |
0147-6513 doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114345 https://doaj.org/article/f4ee38d1a66049d78df2389b62d9110c |
op_rights |
undefined |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114345 |
container_title |
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
container_volume |
249 |
container_start_page |
114345 |
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1766145555956760576 |