Metals Toxic Effects in Aquatic Ecosystems: Modulators of Water Quality

Abstract

The topic of this work was based on the assessment of aquatic systems quality related to the persistent metal pollution. The use of aquatic organisms as bioindicators of metal pollution allowed the obtaining of valuable information about the acute and chronic toxicity on common Romanian aquatic species and the estimation of the environment quality. Laboratory toxicity results showed that Cd, "s, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Zr, and Ti have toxic to very toxic efects on Cyprinus carpio, and this observation could raise concerns because of its importance as a ishery resource. The benthic invertebrates' analysis showed that bioaccumulation level depends on species, type of metals, and sampling sites. The metal analysis from the shells of three mollusk species showed that the metals involved in the metabolic processes (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Mg) were more accumulated than the toxic ones (Pb, Cd). The bioaccumulation factors of metals in benthic invertebrates were subunitary, which indicated a slow bioaccumulation process in the studied aquatic ecosystems. The preliminary aquatic risk assessment of Ni, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, "s, and Zn on C. carpio revealed insigniicant to moderate risk considering the measured environmental concentrations, acute and long-term efects and environmental compartment.Keywords: metals, ish, crustaceans, benthic invertebrates, toxicity, LC 0, M"TC, bioaccumulation, risk © 2017 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2017 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. . IntroductionMetals are constantly released in aquatic systems from natural and anthropic sources such as industrial and domestic sewage discharges, mining, farming, electronic waste, anthropic accidents, navigation traic as well as climate change events like loods (Figure ) [1, 2]. Moreover, metals are easily dissolved in water and are subsequently absorbed by aquatic organisms such as ish and invertebrates inducing a wide range of biological efects, from being essential for living organisms to being lethal, respectively. In spite of the fact that some metals are essential at low concentrations for living organisms, such as (i) micronutrients (Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Co, Mo, Cr, and Se) and (ii) macronutrients (Ca, Mg, Na, P, and S) at higher concentrations, they could induce toxic efects disturbing organisms' growth, metabolism, or reproduction with consequences to the entire trophic chain, including on humans [3]. In addition, the nonessential metals such as Pb, Cd, Ni, "s, and Hg enhance the overall toxic efect on organisms even at very low concentrations. ...

Anthropogenic Pollutants: 10 Years of Progress in Ecotoxicological Studies and Aquatic Risk Assessment

“…The single species toxicity tests were appropriate for analyzing toxicological effects on individual characteristics of species such as mortality or growth, but with limited significance for the consequences on the natural ecosystem. Before 2008, our laboratory performed LC50 individual species tests using fresh water bio indicators such as Cyprinus carpio and Daphnia magna to evaluate the acute or chronic toxicities of various chemicals (pesticides, metals or other inorganic or organic compounds) [11,29]. Currently, this tests are frequently request by producers or control authorities for chemical products authorization (such as biocide, industrial products or industrial wastes) or environmental samples toxicity control.…”

“…Thereby, risk characterization researches were initiated for some hazardous chemicals (4chloroaniline, 1-chloro-4-nitrobenzene and 4chloro-2-nitrotoluene), pesticides (azinphos-methyl and bentazone), pharmaceuticals (diclophenac, acetaminophen, ketoprophen, indomethacin, naproxen, ibuprophen, carbamazepine, caffeine, ciprofloxacine and trimethoprim), surfactants (benzenthonium chloride and cocamidopropyl betaine) and heavy metals. The studies showed the risk level of each chemical compound base on field data concentration respectively Romanian surface waters (Danube River, Danube Delta, Arges River, Mures River, Ciorogarla River and Ghimbasel stream) comparatively with other international rivers [11,16,29]. The results showed different levels of risk in accordance to detected environmental concentration, to acute and chronic toxicities and the environmental compartment (water or sediment).…”

Danube Delta: Monitoring and Ecological Status. A Link Between the Past and the Future

“…A greater difference of bioaccumulative metals impact (Ni and Zn) at S7 compared to S8 was observed. The study of metal bioaccumulation capacity in the mollusks shell from Danube Delta aquatic system underlined that metals involved in metabolic processes (such as Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Mg) had a greater storage capacity than the toxic ones (such as Pb and Cd) [12].…”

“…The bioaccumulation of numerous metals (such as: As, Se, Sb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Co, Fe, Mn, Mg, Ni, Pb and Zn) was quantified from two bivales species and one gasteropod species collected during summer and autumn 2013 from S7 and S8. The applied methodology was detailed in Gheorghe et al (2017)[12]. Benthic invertebrates as biological vectors for pathogens.…”

Untitled

“…The toxic metals are the most frequently detected pollutants in the aquatic environment, and their effects identification are essential to protect the ecosystems integrity as well as human health (Gheorghe, Stoica, Vasile, Nita-Lazar, Stanescu, & Lucaciu, 2017). Copper (Cu) is considered as the one of the most toxic metals to aquatic organisms.…”