Effects of vegetable oil pollution on aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblage in a freshwater wetland and its use as a remediation tool

The occurrence, as well as the environmental fate and impact, of vegetable oil spills in freshwater wetlands have until now been unreported. Thus, the largest global vegetable oil spillage in a freshwater wetland, which occurred at the Con Joubert Bird Sanctuary wetland in 2007, presented an ideal opportunity to evaluate these impacts. Five post-spill sampling sites were selected within the wetland from which a variety of abiotic and biotic samples were collected bi-monthly over a period of 12 months. Abiotic variables included the sediment and water column oil concentrations, total nitrogen, total phosphorous, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), silica, chlorophyll a, as well as in situ measurements of pH, electrical conductivity, and dissolved oxygen. Aquatic macroinvertebrates were chosen as biotic indicators in the study field due to their wide applicability as water quality indicators and were thus collected at each site. Spatial and temporal changes in total nitrogen, total phosphorous, and chlorophyll a concentrations as well as changes in pH were observed. The oil spillage also resulted in an increase in tolerant macroinvertebrate taxa, mainly Chironomidae and Psychodidae, at the sites closest to the source of the spillage. These two taxa, and to a lesser extent, Syrphidae, were identified as potentially useful indicators to determine the extent of vegetable oil contamination within a freshwater wetland. Furthermore, monitoring of these indicator taxa can be a useful management tool to determine the recovery of freshwater wetlands after vegetable oil spills. In the study, a static battery of bioassays of different biotic trophic levels was also employed to determine the adverse effects of the spilled vegetable oil on the biotic environment. It was evident from the result of the static battery of bioassay that adverse effects of the sunflower oil differ between trophic levels. The latter was in relationship with the data obtained from the field macroinvertebrate study, indicating that certain macroinvertebrate families were more tolerant to the adverse effects of sunflower oil than other families.Fil: Selala, M C.. University of Pretoria. Faculty of Veterinary Science. Departament of Paraclinical Science; SudáfricaFil: Botha, A. M.. University of Stellenbosch. Department of Genetics; SudáfricaFil: de Klerk, A. R.. University of Stellenbosch. Department of Genetics; SudáfricaFil: de Klerk, L. P.. Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. Natural Resources and the Environment; SudáfricaFil: Myburgh, J. G.. University of Pretoria. Faculty of Veterinary Science. Departament of Paraclinical Science; SudáfricaFil: Blettler, Martin Cesar Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; ArgentinaFil: Oberholster, P. J.. University of Pretoria. Faculty of Veterinary Science. Departament of Paraclinical Science; Sudáfric

Plastic pollution: A focus on freshwater biodiversity

Plastics are dominant pollutants in freshwater ecosystems worldwide. Scientific studies that investigated the interaction between plastics and freshwater biodiversity are incipient, especially if compared to the marine realm. In this review, we provide a brief overview of plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems around the world. We found evidence of plastic ingestion by 206 freshwater species, from invertebrates to mammals, in natural or semi-natural ecosystems. In addition, we reported other consequences of synthetic polymers in freshwater ecosystems—including, for instance, the entanglement of animals of different groups (e.g., birds). The problem of plastic pollution is complex and will need coordinated actions, such as recycling programs, correct disposal, stringent legislation, regular inspection, replacement of synthetic polymers with other materials, and ecological restoration. Current information indicates that the situation in freshwater ecosystems may be as detrimental as the pollution found in the ocean, although highly underappreciated.Fil: Azevedo Santos, Valter M.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Brito, Marcelo F. G.. Universidade Federal de Sergipe; BrasilFil: Manoel, Pedro S.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Perroca, Júlia F.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Rodrigues-Filho, Jorge Luiz. Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; BrasilFil: Paschoal, Lucas R. P.. No especifíca;Fil: Gonçalves, Geslaine R. L.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Wolf, Milena R.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Blettler, Martin Cesar Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; ArgentinaFil: Andrade, Marcelo C.. Universidade Federal do Pará; BrasilFil: Nobile, André B.. No especifíca;Fil: Lima, Felipe P.. No especifíca;Fil: Ruocco, Ana M. C.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Silva, Carolina V.. No especifíca;Fil: Perbiche Neves, Gilmar. Universidade Federal do São Carlos; BrasilFil: Portinho, Jorge L.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Giarrizzo, Tommaso. Universidade Federal do Pará; BrasilFil: Arcifa, Marlene S.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Pelicice, Fernando M.. No especifíca

Plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems: macro-, meso-, and microplastic debris in a floodplain lake

Plastic pollution is considered an important environmental problem by the United Nations Environment Programme, and it is identified, alongside climate change, as an emerging issue that might affect biological diversity and human health. However, despite research efforts investigating plastics in oceans, relatively little studies have focused on freshwater systems. The aim of this study was to estimate the spatial distribution, types, and characteristics of macro-, meso-, and microplastic fragments in shoreline sediments of a freshwater lake. Food wrappers (mainly polypropylene and polystyrene), bags (high- and low-density polyethylene), bottles (polyethylene terephthalate), and disposable Styrofoam food containers (expanded polystyrene) were the dominant macroplastics recorded in this study. Contrary to other studies, herein macroplastic item surveys would not serve as surrogates for microplastic items. This is disadvantageous since macroplastic surveys are relatively easier to conduct. Otherwise, an average of 25 mesoplastics (mainly expanded polystyrene) and 704 microplastic particles (diverse resins) were recorded per square meter in sandy sediments. Comparisons with other studies from freshwater and marine beaches indicated similar relevance of plastic contamination, demonstrating for the first time that plastic pollution is a serious problem in the Paraná floodplain lakes. This study is also valuable from a social/educational point of view, since plastic waste has been ignored in the Paraná catchment as a pollutant problem, and therefore, the outcome of the current study is a relevant contribution for decision makers.Fil: Blettler, Martin Cesar Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; ArgentinaFil: Ulla, Maria Alicia del H.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Investigaciones en Catálisis y Petroquímica "Ing. José Miguel Parera". Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto de Investigaciones en Catálisis y Petroquímica "Ing. José Miguel Parera"; ArgentinaFil: Rabuffetti, Ana Pia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; ArgentinaFil: Garello, Nicolás Andrés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; Argentin