Water quality limits for Atlantic salmon (<i>Salmo salar</i> L.) exposed to short term reductions in pH and increased aluminum simulating episodes

International audienceAcidification has caused the loss or reduction of numerous Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) populations on both sides of the North Atlantic. Acid deposition peaked in the 1980's and resulted in both chronically and episodically acidified rivers. At present, water quality is improving in all affected rivers due to reduced acid deposition. However, spring snow melt, heavy rainfall and sea salt episodes can still cause short term drops in pH and elevated concentrations of bioavailable aluminum. Technical malfunction in lime dozers will cause short termed episodic spates in the limed rivers. The current situation has prompted a need for dose-response relationships based on short term exposures of Atlantic salmon to assess the potential population effects of episodic acidification. Water quality guidelines for salmon have been lacking, despite a large number of experiments, all demonstrating dose-response relationships between water chemistry and fish health. We have summarized results from 347 short-term (+ and Al) and as Carlin-tagged smolt releases after preexposure to moderately acidic waters. The results from the various bioassays are compared to water quality limits proposed on basis of the relationship between water quality and population status/health in Norwegian rivers. The focus of this article is placed on chemical-biological interactions that can be drawn across experiments and exposure protocols. We propose dose-response relationships for acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), pH, cationic Al and gill accumulated Al, versus mortality in freshwater, effects on hypo-osmoregulatory capacity in seawater challenge tests and on smolt to adult survival in release experiments. The "no effect" dose depends on the life history stage tested and on the sensitivity of the biomarkers. Parr are more tolerant than smolt. Concentrations of Al that have no significant impact on freshwater life history stages can still have major population effects if they occur prior to smolt migration. While smolt can survive in freshwater for a prolonged period of time (>10 days) at an Al dose resulting in a gill Al concentration of up to 300 µg Alg?1 dw, a 3 day exposure resulting in a gill Al accumulation in the range of 25 to 60 µg Alg?1 dw reduces smolt to adult survival in a dose related manner by 20 to 50%. For smolt to adult survival, the biological significant response is delayed relative to the dose and occurs first after the fish enters the marine environment. In addition to exposure intensity and timing, exposure duration is important for the setting of critical limits

Bruk av silikat som alternativ til kalking - feltforsøk med flytende og fast silikat i 1997

Feltforsøk med dosering av flytende silikat-lut som et alternativ til kalking har tidligere vært utprøvd i Tangedalselva. Med tanke på videre bruk av silikat i naturen var det viktig å få undersøkt hvorvidt dosering av silikat kunne ha uønskede negative sideeffekter på den naturlige fauna og flora i et elvesystem. Prosjektet i Tangedalselva i 1997 hadde derfor som målsetning, i tillegg til de kjemiske studiene, å undersøke effektene av silikatdosering på villfisken i elva (aure), på bunndyrsamfunnet, og på artssammensetning og mengde av påvekstalger. Når det gjelder prosjektet med bruk av fast silikat i Aurtjernbekken i Akershus, hadde det sin bakgrunn i behovet for nye metoder for avsyring av bekkesystemer. Resultatene fra Tangedalselva var lovende, og viste ingen klare negative effekter på noen av organismegruppene som ble undersøkt. Eksponeringsforsøk med den sensitive døgnfluarten Baetis rhodani viste sterkt redusert dødelighet i silikatbehandlet vann. De kjemiske studiene viste at en dose på mellom 0,6 og 2 mg SiO2 pr. liter var nødvendig for å redusere konsentrasjonen av Ali i Tangedalselva. Forsøkene med fast silikat i Aurtjernbekken var mindre lovende, og viste minimale effekter av utlegging av fast silikat både på aluminiumskjemien og på aure eksponert i bur. Lav løselighet på silikatklumpene er den sannsynlige årsaken til dett

No Fukushima Dai-ichi derived plutonium signal in marine sediments collected 1.5-57km from the reactors

Based on AMS analysis, it is shown that no Pu signals from the Fukushima accident could be discerned in marine sediments collected 1.5-57km away from the Fukushima Da-ichi power plant (FDNPP), which were clearly influenced by accident-derived radiocesium. The 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios (0.21-0.28) were significantly higher than terrestrial global fallout (0.182 ± 0.005), but still in agreement with pre-FDNPP accident baseline data for Pu in near coastal seawaters influenced by global fallout and long-range transport of Pu from the Pacific Proving Grounds.This study has been funded by the Norwegian Research Council through its Centre of Excellence (CoE) funding scheme (Project No. 223268/F50)

CONFIDENCE overview of improvements in radioecological human food chain models and future needs

Radioecological models used to make predictions of the radionuclide activity concentrations in human foodstuffs must be sufficiently robust and fit for purpose with uncertainties reduced where practicable. The CONFIDENCE project had a work package with the objective to improve the capabilities of radioecological models and this paper presents the key findings of this work. Recommendations for future radioecological studies/model developments are made based on the findings of the work conducted and consultations with end-users