Urban runoff impacts on receiving aquatic ecosystems assessed using periphyton community

Abstract

Urban runoff is a major cause of stream degradation. For appropriate management action, there is a need to establish whether or not the runoff is degrading or potentially will degrade the receiving water. This work explored the use of local periphyton communities for assessing the ecological impacts of runoff of two urban catchments. Periphyton communities were colonized on glass substrate for 2 weeks in riverine waters receiving the urban runoff and in non-receiving waters at an upstream reference site. The receiving communities were evaluated against the reference community for photosynthetic efficiency and tolerance to copper, identified to be a significant runoff stressor. Photosynthesis efficiency was measured as a PSII quantum yield, and community tolerance was assessed using a laboratory ecotoxicological test. The hypothesis tested is that the runoff degrades by causing communities in receiving waters to become more sensitive to runoff stressors. The bioassessment indicated a much higher copper threshold than provided for in the generic water quality guidelines. The significance in the use of local community is that it allows for ecological risk analysis of exposure to runoff stressors, providing site-specific information relevant to management.

Daphnia magna Indicate Severe Toxicity of Highway Runoff

“…A recent growing interest in the control of environmental contamination from road runoff has led to an increased use of aquatic organisms as indicators in biological analyses. Although most studies have focused on the biological effects of urban runoff (Katznelson et al, 1995; Skinner et al, 1999; Christensen et al, 2006; Waara and Färm, 2008; Khun et al, 2012), far less attention has been given to the relatively higher environmental threat from highways (>45,000 vehicles d −1 ) (Marsalek et al, 1999; Meland et al, 2010; Bartlett et al, 2012). The present study demonstrates the extreme lethal effect of highway seasonal first flushes to the cladoceran D. magna .…”

Environmental stressor gradients hierarchically regulate macrozoobenthic community turnover in lotic systems of Northern Italy

“…Rivers are usually the first systems affected by anthropogenic impact because (a) they are subjected to pollution from point and non-point sources (Carpenter et al, 1998;Khun et al, 2012), and (b) they are usually modified for flood protection, flow regulation, and increased water uses (e.g., domestic use, irrigation, hydro energy, and transportation) (Nilsson et al, 2005;Doledéc & Bernhard, 2008;Elosegi & Sabater, 2013).…”