Multiannual Trend of Micro-Pollutants in Sediments and Benthic Community Response in a Mediterranean Lagoon (Sacca di Goro, Italy)

Abstract

Long-term variations of ecological status in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon (Sacca di Goro, Northern Adriatic) were investigated, combining data on the concentration of surface sediment contaminants and on the structure of the macrobenthic community. The aim was to assess any amount of chemical contamination and check the response of the macrobenthic community to sediment contamination. Over the studied period, the sediments of the lagoon showed contamination by trace metals and organochlorine pesticides, with most of them exceeding the thresholds indicated by the Italian legislation in many samples. Contamination by polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) instead never exceeded the threshold. The ecological status based on the macrobenthic community, evaluated through biotic indices (AMBI and M-AMBI), fell below the Good/Moderate threshold in most samples. The results indicate a possible influence of toxic compounds in sediment on benthic organisms, but most of the variability shown by the macrobenthic community is probably due to other factors. The difficulty in establishing a cause/effect relationship was due to the co-occurrence and variability of various stressors (both natural and anthropogenic) and their interactions. The methods currently used for monitoring transitional waters thus seem insufficient to disentangle the effect of pollutants and other environmental variables on the benthos. Integrated approaches (e.g., bioaccumulation and toxicity tests) are thus needed for a more precise identification of the risk posed by a high concentration of pollutants in such environments.

Pollution Characteristics and Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Sediments of the Three Gorges Reservoir

“…Due to the influences of human utilization, industry, and urban development, most water ecosystems have been polluted by heavy metals to varying degrees [1]. Heavy metals are typical pollutants with the characteristics of harmful persistence, significant biological toxicity, and non-degradability, and they are harmful to nature [2,3].…”

A Bayesian network approach to assess the influence of climate change and pesticide use practices on the ecological risks of pesticides in a protected Mediterranean wetland

“…Pollution by agricultural pesticides is one of the most important ones (Barbieri et al ., 2020; Barhoumi et al ., 2014; Calvo et al ., 2021; Ccanccapa et al ., 2016), however their impacts on aquatic ecosystem structure and biodiversity have been seldom investigated (Martínez-Megías & Rico, 2022). Some studies report that the presence of pesticides can have significant effects on aquatic communities (Pitacco et al ., 2020), affecting food web stability and the relative abundance of predator and prey species (Quintana et al ., 2018). Also, pesticide risks could significantly vary over time, becoming critical in some periods of the year due to interactions with other natural or anthropogenic stressors related to global climate change (Duchet et al ., 2010).…”

Levels and Potential Health Hazards of Chlorinated Pesticides in Surface Water Samples of Charsadda Area of Pakistan Using SPME-GC-ECD Technique

“…A large number of pesticides with different chemical compositions are currently used all over the world for agricultural purposes. Their widespread use has meant that pesticide residues have been detected in various environmental matrices, such as soil, water and air by several researchers [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18].…”