Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Linking chemical contamination to biological effects in coastal pollution monitoring

  • Published:
Ecotoxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To establish the connection between pollutant levels and their harmful effects on living resources, coastal monitoring programmes have incorporated biological tools, such as the scope for growth (SFG) in marine mussels and benthic macrofauna community indices. Although the relation between oxygen-depleting anthropogenic inputs and the alteration of benthic communities is well described, the effects of chemical pollutants are unknown because they are not expected to favour any particular taxa. In this study, the combined efforts of five research teams involved in the investigative monitoring of marine pollution allowed the generation of a multiyear data set for Ría de Vigo (NW Iberian Peninsula). Multivariate analysis of these data allowed the identification of the chemical-matrix combinations responsible for most of the variability among sites and the construction of a chemical pollution index (CPI) that significantly (P < 0.01) correlated with biological effects at both the individual and the community levels. We report a consistent reduction in the physiological fitness of local populations of mussels as chemical pollution increases. The energy balance was more sensitive to pollution than individual physiological rates, but the reduction in the SFG was primarily due to significantly decreased clearance rates. We also found a decrease in benthic macrofauna diversity as chemical pollution increases. This diversity reduction resulted not from altered evenness, as the classic paradigm might suggest, but from a loss of species richness.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barrett GW (1968) The effects of an acute insecticide stress on a semi-enclosed grassland ecosystem. Ecology 49(6):1019–1035

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bayne BL, Newell RC (1983) Physiological energetics of marine molluscs. In: K.M. Wilbur and A.S. Saleuddin (eds) The mollusca, vol 4. Academic Press, New York, pp 407–515

  • Bayne BL, Moore MN, Widdows J, Livingstone DR, Salkeld P (1979) Measurement of the responses of individuals to environmental stress and pollution: studies with bivalve molluscs. Phil Trans R Soc Lond B 286:563–581

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bellan G (1985) Effects of pollution and man-made modifications on marine benthic communities in the mediterranean: a review. In: Moraitou-Apostopoulou M, Kiortis V (eds) Mediterranean marine ecosystems. Plenum Publishing Corporation, New York, p 163

    Google Scholar 

  • Bellas J, Nieto O, Beiras R (2010) Integrative assessment of coastal pollution: development and evaluation of sediment quality criteria from chemical contamination and ecotoxicological data. Cont Shelf Res. doi:10.1016/j.csr.2010.04.012

  • Besada V, Andrade JM, Schultze F, Fumega J, Cambeiro B, González JJ (2008) Statistical comparison of trace metal concentrations in wild mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) in selected sites of Galicia and Gulf of Biscay (Spain). J Mar Sys 72:320–331

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conover RJ (1966) Assimilation of organic matter by zooplancton. Limnol Oceanogr 2:338–354

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Directive 2008/56/EC (2008) of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy (Marine Strategy Framework Directive). EC Directive 2008/56/EC. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:164:0019:0040:EN:PDF. Accessed 14 March 2011

  • González-Quijano A, Fumega J, González JJ (2006) Temporal variation of PCB concentration in mussel tissue in two areas of Santander Bay (Spain). Ciencias Marinas 32(2B):465–469

    Google Scholar 

  • Grall J, Glémarec M (1997) Using biotic indices to estimate macrobenthic community perturbations in the Bay of Brest. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 44A:43–53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gray JS (1989) Effects of environmental stress on species rich assemblages. Biol J Linn Soc 37:19–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gray JS (1992) Eutrophication in the sea. In: Colombo G, Ferrari I, Ceccherelli V, Rossi R (eds) Marine eutrophication and population dynamics. Olsen & Olsen, Fredensborg, 25th EMBS, pp 3–15

  • Gray JS, Clarke KR, Warwick RM, Hobbs G (1990) Detection of initial effects of pollution on marine benthos: an example from the Ekofisk and Eldfisk oil fields, North Sea. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 66:285–299

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heck KL (1976) Community structure and the effects of pollution in sea-grass meadows and adjacent habitats. Mar Biol 35:345–357

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ICES (1987) Guidelines for temporal tendencies analysis of data on contaminant in shellfish. In: ICES report of the ICES advisory committee on marine pollution. Coop Res Report 142

  • Long ER, MacDonald DD, Smith SL, Calder FD (1995) Incidence of adverse biological effects within ranges of chemical concentrations in marine and estuarine sediments. Environ Manage 19:81–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Long ER, Ingersoll CG, MacDonald DD (2006) Calculation and uses of mean sediment quality guideline quotients: A critical review. Environ Sci Technol 40:1726–1736

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • López-Jamar EJ, Mejuto J (1985) Bentos infaunal en la zona submareal de la Ría de La Coruña. I. Estructura y distribución espacial de las comunidades. Bol Inst Esp Oceanogr 2:99–109

    Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald DD, Carr RS, Calder FD, Long ER, Ingersoll CG (1996) Development and evaluation of sediment quality guidelines for Florida coastal waters. Ecotoxicology 5:253–278

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McRae G, Camp DK, Lyons WG, Dix TL (1998) Relating benthic infaunal community structure to environmental variables in estuaries using nonmetric multidimensional scaling and similarity analysis. Environ Monitor Assess 51:233–246

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • National Oceans Act (2009) Project of national oceans protection act of 2009. S.858.22 April 2009

  • O’Connor TP, Paul JF (2000) Misfit between sediment toxicity and chemistry. Mar Poll Bull 40:59–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Odum EP, Cooley JL (1980) Ecosystem profile analysis and performance curves as tools for assessing environmental impact, pp. 94–102. In: Council on environmental quality and office of biological services, fish and wildlife service. Biological evaluation of environmental impacts: the proceedings of a symposium. USDI. FWS/OBS-80/26. 237. U.S. Government Printing Office, pp 326–334

  • OSPAR Commission (1997a) JAMP guidelines for monitoring contaminants in sediments. Joint Assessment and Monitoring Program (JAMP), London, pp 1–16

    Google Scholar 

  • OSPAR Commission (1997b) Agreed ecotoxicological assessment criteria for trace metals, PCBs, PAHs, TBT and some organochlorine pesticides. Brussels 2-5 September. OSPAR 97/15/1, OSPAR Commission, London

  • OSPAR Commission (1999) JAMP guidelines for monitoring contaminants in biota. Joint assessment and monitoring program (JAMP), London, pp 1–49

    Google Scholar 

  • OSPAR Commission (2006) Agreement on background concentrations for contaminants in seawater, biota and sediment (OSPAR agreement 2005-6). OSPAR Commission, London

    Google Scholar 

  • OSPAR Commission (2008) Draft agreement on assessment criteria. OSPAR 08/6/7-E (L). Brest (France): 23–27 June 2008. OSPAR Commission, London

  • OSPAR Commission (2009) Coordinated environmental monitoring programme (CEMP) (Reference number: 2009-1). OSPAR Commission, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearson TH, Rosenberg R (1978) Macrobenthic succession in relation to organic enrichment and pollution of the marine environment. Oceanogr Mar Biol Ann Rev 16:229–311

    Google Scholar 

  • Pérez-Camacho A, González R (1984) La filtración del mejillón (Mytilus edulis, L.) en laboratorio. Actas do Primeiro seminario de Ciencias do Mar as Rías Galegas. Cuadernos da Área de Ciencias Mariñas. Seminario de Estudos Galegos 1:427–437

    Google Scholar 

  • QUASIMEME II (2005) QUASIMEME laboratory performance studies. Round 40. Exercise 648,649,650 (sediments) and 651,652 and 654 (biota)

  • QUASIMEME II (2006) QUASIMEME laboratory performance studies. Round 46. Exercise 723,724,725 (sediments) and 726,727 and 728 (biota)

  • Reish DJ (1955) The relation of polychaetous annelids to harbor pollution. Public Health Rep 70:1168–1174

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg R, Blomquist M, Nilsson HC, Cederwall H, Dimming A (2004) Marine quality assessment by the use of benthic species-abundance distributions: a proposed new protocol within the European union water framework directive. Mar Pollut Bull 49:728–739

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rygg B (1985) Effect of sediment copper on benthic fauna. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 25:83–89

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rygg B, Skei J (1984) Correlation between pollutant load and the diversity of marine soft-bottom fauna communities. In: Proceedings of the international workshop on biological testing of effluents and related receiving waters. OECD/US EPA/Environ. Canada, pp 153–183

  • Smaal AC, Widdows J (1994) The scope for growth of bivalves as an integrated response parameter in biological monitoring. In: Kramer KJM (ed) Biomonitoring of coastal waters and estuaries, Chap. 11. CRC Press, Boca Raton

    Google Scholar 

  • Smedes F, DeBoer J (1997) Determination of chlorobiphenyls in sediments: analytical methods. Trend Anal Chem 16(9):503–517

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • US EPA (2007) Aquatic life ambient freshwater quality criteria for copper. Revision. United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of water, Office of Science and Technology, Washington DC

    Google Scholar 

  • US EPA (2008) National Coastal Condition Report. EPA/842-R-002. Office of research and Development/Office of Water, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • USEPA (2006) National recommended water quality criteria. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Office of Water. Office of Science and Technology. http://www.epa.gov. Accessed 13 May 2011

  • Viñas L, Angeles-Franco M, Soriano JA, González JJ, Pon J, Albaigés J (2010) Sources and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments from the Spanish northern continental shelf. Assessment of spatial and temporal trends. Environ Pollut 158:1551–1560

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang S, Hong H, Wang X (2005) Bioenergetic responses in green lipped mussels (Perna viridis) as indicators of pollution stress in Xiamen coastal waters, China. Mar Pollut Bull 51:738–743

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ward TJ, Hutchings PA (1996) Effects of trace metals on infaunal species composition in polluted intertidal and subtidal marine sediments near a lead smelter, Spencer Gulf, South Australia. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 135:123–135

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Warren CE, Davis GE (1967) Laboratory studies on the feeding, bioenergetics and growth of fish. In: Gerking SD (ed) The biological basis of freshwater fish production. Blackwell, Oxford, Edinburgh, pp 175–214

    Google Scholar 

  • Wells D, Cofino W (1997) The assessment of the QUASIMEME laboratory performance studies data: techniques and approach. Mar Pollut Bull 35:18–27

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Widdows J (1993) Marine and estuarine invertebrate toxicity tests. In: Calow P (ed) Handbook of ecotoxicology, vol 1, chap 9. Blackwell, Oxford, pp 145–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Widdows J, Donkin P (1989) The application of combined tissue residue chemistry and physiological measurements of mussels (Mytilus edulis) for the assessment of environmental pollution. Hydrobiologia 188(189):455–461

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Widdows J, Johnson D (1988) Physiological energetics of Mytilus edulis: scope for growth. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 46:113–121

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Widdows J, Staff HJ (2006) Biological effects of contaminants: measurement of scope for growth in mussels. ICES techniques in marine environmental sciences no 40. International Council for the Exploration of the Sea

  • Widdows J, Donkin P, Staff FJ, Matthiessen P, Law RJ, Allen YT, Thain JE, Allchin CR, Jones BR (2002) Measurement of stress effects (scope for growth) and contaminant levels in mussels (Mytilus edulis) collected from the Irish Sea. Mar Environ Res 53:327–356

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wyse EJ, Azemard S, Mora SJD (2003) World-wide intercomparison exercise for the determination of trace elements and methylmercury in fish homogenate IAEA-407. IAEA/AL/144; IAEA/MEL/72. International Atomic Energy Agency, Monaco

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the help of the captain and crew of the research vessel Navaz during the cruises and M. Espiñeira, J.C. Mariño, J.I. Lorenzo, A. Freire, F. Schultze, B. Cambeiro, J. Bargiela, J.A. Soriano and X. Blanco for their contributions to the field work, sampling and data processing. This study was supported by the Spanish Government (Research Projects REN2003-00958 and CTM2009-10908) and Galician Government (Project PGIDIT10MDS700006PR). I.D. and P.S.M. were supported by FPU Fellowships from the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. ECIMAT (Universidade de Vigo), Illa de Toralla, 36331, Galicia, Spain

    Ricardo Beiras, Iria Durán & Paula Sánchez-Marín

  2. Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro de A Coruña, 15001, Galicia, Spain

    Santiago Parra

  3. EHU/UPV Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, UPV/EHU, 48940, Leioa, Basque, Spain

    Miren B. Urrutia

  4. Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro de Vigo, Subida a Radio Faro 50, 36390, Galicia, Spain

    Victoria Besada, Juan Bellas, Lucía Viñas, Amelia González-Quijano, María A. Franco & Juan J. González

  5. Departamento de Química Analítica e Alimentaria, Universidade de Vigo, 36200, Vigo, Galicia, Spain

    Iria Durán & Óscar Nieto

Authors
  1. Ricardo Beiras
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Iria Durán
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Santiago Parra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Miren B. Urrutia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Victoria Besada
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Juan Bellas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Lucía Viñas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Paula Sánchez-Marín
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Amelia González-Quijano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. María A. Franco
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Óscar Nieto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Juan J. González
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ricardo Beiras.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOC 694 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Beiras, R., Durán, I., Parra, S. et al. Linking chemical contamination to biological effects in coastal pollution monitoring. Ecotoxicology 21, 9–17 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-011-0757-3

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-011-0757-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation