Assessing potential aquatic toxicity of airport runoff using physicochemical parameters and Lemna gibba and Aliivibrio fischeri bioassays

Abstract

A critical problem derived from airport operations is the environmental impact of runoff water. Airport runoff includes a complex mixture of pollutants, e.g., from deicing agents, that may affect negatively natural water bodies. This study assesses the spatial and temporal aquatic ecotoxicity of runoff water and possible aeroplane drift in a German airport. Over winter 2012–2013, from November to May, water samples were collected within the airport and surrounding area. These samples were analyzed using traditional physicochemical analysis and biotests with two aquatic organisms from different trophic levels, Lemna gibba and Aliivibrio fischeri. Overall, the samples examined in this study were relatively non-toxic to the tested organisms. The physicochemical parameters were mainly influenced by the sampling period being higher in colder months. In contrast, the ecotoxicity was influenced by the sampling site. For sites within the airport, a high correlation between the physicochemical parameters (EC and TOC) and toxicity in L. gibba was found. These correlations were not evident in samples taken outside the airport or when A. fischeri was used as a bioindicator. However, a pronounced seasonality has been observed, linked to the coldest months with average inhibition values of 50% in L. gibba and 25% in A. fischeri, particularly in January. Both biotests yielded differing results; therefore, more biotests should be included. However, L. gibba showed a good response with this type of water samples to be included in future studies together with detailed chemical analysis. The present study provides data to assess the potential ecotoxicological effects of airport runoff affected by winter operations.

Selection and Characterization of a Bacillus Strain for Potential Application in Industrial Production of White Button Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus)

“…Using plant growth chambers to simulate the growth conditions in mushroom houses is a practical way to conduct small-scale experiments. The Fitotron SGC120 standard plant growth chamber (Weiss Gallenkamp, Loughborough, UK) is universal, and it can also be used for other purposes, for example, plant cultivation [58] and insect rearing [59], and a simulated mushroom growing environment can also be achieved [45]. In our study, the bacterial treatment was highly effective against the T. aggressivum f. aggressivum SZMC 25834 strain under the mushroom growing conditions simulated in the plant growth chamber.…”

Soil and Water Pollution Awareness and Fare Purchasing Behaviour of Passengers in Air Carriers

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Comprehensive Analysis and Environmental Risk Assessment of Benzotriazoles in Airport Stormwater: A HS-SPME-GC × GC-TOF-MS-Based Procedure as a Tool for Sustainable Airport Runoff Water Management

“…Despite the numerous benefits of intensive air transport development, many activities associated with the operation of airports contribute to environmental pollution [5][6][7][8]. In this regard, airport stormwater, also known as airport runoff water, poses a growing environmental problem [9][10][11][12][13]. Airport stormwater is formed when atmospheric deposits or precipitation flush the airport's surfaces during everyday activities [14][15][16].…”

“…Critical issues in analyzing airport stormwater involve complex sample matrices, the presence of analytes at low or trace levels, and the potential overlap of various compounds with similar physicochemical properties within a single sample. Further complicating matters are the difficulties in standardizing measurements, affected by factors such as the diverse sizes of airports and fluctuating weather conditions [2,10,11]. Given this, the essential steps in the proper analytical methodology include sample preparation and the subsequent determination stage.…”