Simulated effects on hydrophysics and water quality in lakes due to climate changes

Årsliste 2008The objective of the studies was to quantify effects on water quality in lakes due to a future climate change. This was done by using climatic scenarios for the climate of today and in the future as input to the water quality model CE-QUAL-W2 for three Norwegian lakes. The results of the simulations were focused on water temperature, ice cover, oxygen, nutrients and algae. A future warmer climate leads to: • Increase in water temperature especially at the surface • Periods with ice cover become shorter and less frequent • Prolonging of summer stagnation period and more frequent circulation during winter • Less oxygen during summer and more during winter • Prolonging of growth season leads to more cyanobacteriaResearch Council of Norwa

Overvåking av Gjersjøen og Kolbotnvannet med tilløpsbekker 1972-2007 med vekt på viktige resultater fra 2007

Årsliste 2008Denne rapporten presenterer en kortfattet oversikt over miljøtilstanden i Gjersjøen og Kolbotnvannet med tilløpsbekker, for perioden 1972 til og med 2007. Undersøkelsene er utført på oppdrag fra Oppegård kommune. Det finnes systematiserte data fra Gjersjøen og Kolbotnvannet helt tilbake til 1972. Observasjoner i sjøene er gjort så langt tilbake som i 1953. Regelmessig overvåking av vannkvaliteten gjennom lang tid gir et godt grunnlag for å se utviklingen av innsjøenes status gjennom hele perioden. Undersøkelsene av innsjøene og de viktigste tilførselsbekkene genererer mye data. Alle dataene er gjennom årene samlet og diskutert i relativt omfattende årsrapporter. For å øke brukervennligheten av informasjonen har vi, gjennom en dialog med kommuenen, valgt en todeling av rapporteringen av årets overvåking: · En forenklet og kortfattet rapport (denne) som omtaler de viktigste resultatene, trendene og konklusjonene fra undersøkelsene i vassdraget på en pedagogisk måte. · Datarapport med beskrivelser av metoder og presentasjon av rådata, tabeller og figurer med noe utfyllende tekst.Oppegård kommune

Optofluidic lab-on-a-chip for rapid algae population screening

Abstract: The rapid identification of algae species is not only of practical importance when monitoring unwanted adverse effects such as eutrophication, but also when assessing the water quality of watersheds. Here, we demonstrate a lab-on-a-chip that functions as a compact robust tool for the fast screening, real-time monitoring, and initial classification of algae. The water-algae sample, flowing in a microfluidic channel, is sideilluminated by an integrated subsurface waveguide. The waveguide is curved to improve the device sensitivity. The changes in the transmitted optical signal are monitored using a quadrant-cell photo-detector. The signal-wavelets from the different quadrants are used to qualitatively distinguish different families of algae. The channel and waveguide are fabricated out of a monolithic fused-silica substrate using a femtosecond laser-writing process combined with chemical etching. This proof-ofconcept device paves the way for more elaborate femtosecond laser-based optofluidic micro-instruments incorporating waveguide networks designed for the real-time field analysis of cells and microorganisms

Tiltaksvurdering i Kolbotnvannet

Årsliste 2006I ”Tiltaksplan for VA 2006-2009” har Oppegård kommune planlagt et omfattende arbeid med å redusere tilførslene fra avløpsnettet, bl.a. med sikte på en bedring av vannkvaliteten i Kolbotnvannet. Et miljømål for Kolbotnvannet er en konsentrasjon av total-fosfor i overflatevannet på 15 mg/L. For at kommunen skulle få et best mulig grunnlag for å velge optimale løsninger for sine tiltak, ble NIVA spurt om å utføre modellberegninger for ulike typer tiltak og forventet effekt av disse. Modellen som er brukt, CE-QUAL-W2, er en 2-dimensjonal (lengde-dyp) modell som er godt egnet til eutrofieringsstudier. Den er kalibrert for Kolbotnvannet ut fra eksisterende overvåkingsdata, og kalibreringen gav et godt bilde av både tilstand og de dominerende prosessene i innsjøen. Etter kalibreringen produserte vi scenarier for effekten på innsjøen av 4 utvalgte eksterne og interne tiltak. For optimal effekt, både i forhold til fosforkonsentrasjon og økologisk tilstand, viser modelleringen at en kombinasjon av reduksjon i eksterne tilførsler og tilsetning av oksygen til bunnvannet å være den løsningen som samsvarer best med det uttalte miljømålet til Kolbotnvannet. Tiltakene forutsetter en nøye oppfølging, for å optimalisere og justere drift av evt. anlegg ut fra obserberte effekter.Oppegård kommune

Towards a femtosecond laser micro-machined optofluidic device for distinguishing algae species

We demonstrate a small device with a microfluidic channel and an integrated waveguide as a compact rudimentary tool for the detection, real-time monitoring, and potentially classification of algae. In order to reduce parasitic noise the micro-device used a curved subsurface optical waveguide to illuminate particles transiting through a microfluidic channel. The changes in the transmitted signal are monitored using a quadrant-cell photo-detector. The signals wavelets from the different quadrants are used to qualitatively distinguish different families of algae. Additional information, such as flow direction, is also provided. The channel and waveguide are fabricated out of a monolithic fused-silica substrate using a femtosecond laser-writing process combined with chemical etching. This proof-of-concept device paves the way for more elaborate femtosecond laser-based optofluidic micro-instruments incorporating waveguide network designed for the real-time analysis of cells and microorganisms in the field

Combined and single effects of pesticide carbaryl and toxic Microcystis aeruginosa on the life history of Daphnia pulicaria

The combined influence of a pesticide (carbaryl) and a cyanotoxin (microcystin LR) on the life history of Daphnia pulicaria was investigated. At the beginning of the experiments animals were pulse exposed to carbaryl for 24 h and microcystins were delivered bound in Microcystis’ cells at different, sub-lethal concentrations (chronic exposure). In order to determine the actual carbaryl concentrations in the water LC–MS/MS was used. For analyses of the cyanotoxin concentration in Daphnia’s body enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used. Individual daphnids were cultured in a flow-through system under constant light (16 h of light: 8 h of dark), temperature (20°C), and food conditions (Scenedesmus obliquus, 1 mg of C l−1). The results showed that in the treatments with carbaryl egg numbers per female did not differ significantly from controls, but the mortality of newborns increased significantly. Increasing microcystin concentrations significantly delayed maturation, reduced size at first reproduction, number of eggs, and newborns. The interaction between carbaryl and Microcystis was highly significant. Animals matured later and at a smaller size than in controls. The number of eggs per female was reduced as well. Moreover, combined stressors caused frequent premature delivery of offspring with body deformations such as dented carapax or an undeveloped heart. This effect is concluded to be synergistic and could not be predicted from the effects of the single stressors.

The Cyanobacterial Hepatotoxin Microcystin Binds to Proteins and Increases the Fitness of Microcystis under Oxidative Stress Conditions

Microcystins are cyanobacterial toxins that represent a serious threat to drinking water and recreational lakes worldwide. Here, we show that microcystin fulfils an important function within cells of its natural producer Microcystis. The microcystin deficient mutant ΔmcyB showed significant changes in the accumulation of proteins, including several enzymes of the Calvin cycle, phycobiliproteins and two NADPH-dependent reductases. We have discovered that microcystin binds to a number of these proteins in vivo and that the binding is strongly enhanced under high light and oxidative stress conditions. The nature of this binding was studied using extracts of a microcystin-deficient mutant in vitro. The data obtained provided clear evidence for a covalent interaction of the toxin with cysteine residues of proteins. A detailed investigation of one of the binding partners, the large subunit of RubisCO showed a lower susceptibility to proteases in the presence of microcystin in the wild type. Finally, the mutant defective in microcystin production exhibited a clearly increased sensitivity under high light conditions and after hydrogen peroxide treatment. Taken together, our data suggest a protein-modulating role for microcystin within the producing cell, which represents a new addition to the catalogue of functions that have been discussed for microbial secondary metabolites

Secondary metabolite gene expression and interplay of bacterial functions in a tropical freshwater cyanobacterial bloom

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) appear to be increasing in frequency on a global scale. The Cyanobacteria in blooms can produce toxic secondary metabolites that make freshwater dangerous for drinking and recreation. To characterize microbial activities in a cyanoHAB, transcripts from a eutrophic freshwater reservoir in Singapore were sequenced for six samples collected over one day-night period. Transcripts from the Cyanobacterium Microcystis dominated all samples and were accompanied by at least 533 genera primarily from the Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria. Within the Microcystis population, abundant transcripts were from genes for buoyancy, photosynthesis and synthesis of the toxin microviridin, suggesting that these are necessary for competitive dominance in the Reservoir. During the day, Microcystis transcripts were enriched in photosynthesis and energy metabolism while at night enriched pathways included DNA replication and repair and toxin biosynthesis. Microcystis was the dominant source of transcripts from polyketide and non-ribosomal peptide synthase (PKS and NRPS, respectively) gene clusters. Unexpectedly, expression of all PKS/NRPS gene clusters, including for the toxins microcystin and aeruginosin, occurred throughout the day-night cycle. The most highly expressed PKS/NRPS gene cluster from Microcystis is not associated with any known product. The four most abundant phyla in the reservoir were enriched in different functions, including photosynthesis (Cyanobacteria), breakdown of complex organic molecules (Proteobacteria), glycan metabolism (Bacteroidetes) and breakdown of plant carbohydrates, such as cellobiose (Actinobacteria). These results provide the first estimate of secondary metabolite gene expression, functional partitioning and functional interplay in a freshwater cyanoHAB.Singapore. National Research Foundation (Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), Center for Environmental Sensing and Modeling (CENSAM) research program)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology, Grant No. DBI-1202865)National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS Grant P30-ES002109 to the MIT Center for Environmental Health Sciences)MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI-Hayashi fund

The Interactive Effects of Ammonia and Microcystin on Life-History Traits of the Cladoceran Daphnia magna: Synergistic or Antagonistic?

The occurrence of Microcystis blooms is a worldwide concern that has caused numerous adverse effects on water quality and lake ecology. Elevated ammonia and microcystin concentrations co-occur during the degradation of Microcystis blooms and are toxic to aquatic organisms; we studied the relative and combined effects of these on the life history of the model organism Daphnia magna. Ammonia and microcystin-LR treatments were: 0, 0.366, 0.581 mg L−1 and 0, 10, 30, 100 µg L−1, respectively. Experiments followed a fully factorial design. Incubations were 14 d and recorded the following life-history traits: number of moults, time to first batch of eggs, time to first clutch, size at first batch of eggs, size at first clutch, number of clutches per female, number of offspring per clutch, and total offspring per female. Both ammonia and microcystin were detrimental to most life-history traits. Interactive effects of the toxins occurred for five traits: the time to first batch of eggs appearing in the brood pouch, time to first clutch, size at first clutch, number of clutches, and total offspring per female. The interactive effects of ammonia and microcystin appeared to be synergistic on some parameters (e.g., time to first eggs) and antagonistic on others (e.g., total offspring per female). In conclusion, the released toxins during the degradation of Microcystis blooms would result, according to our data, in substantially negative effect on D. magna