Assessment of water quality in temperate-plain streams (Argentina, South America) using a multiple approach
Keywords:
pollution, macroinvertebrates, physicochemical parameters, ecotoxicological analyses, Pampean streamsAbstract
We assessed the water quality in two pampean lotic systems (Argentina), the Juan Blanco and Buñirigo streams, subjected to different land uses (i.e., the UNESCO Biosphere Nature Reserve vs. industry and agriculture, respectively) through measurements of physicochemical data and the structural parameters of the macroinvertebrate assemblages in addition to ecotoxicological analyses. The objective was to identify the degree of ecological impairment in adversely affected areas and the consequent effects on the biota. The results obtained allowed the establishment of different water-quality classes within the study area. According to the indices applied, the downstream zone of the Buñirigo stream was categorized as moderately polluted on the basis of losses of sensitive benthic species or changes in their abundance. Likewise, acute ecotoxicological bioassays demonstrated that the water from this site had lethal effects on Caenis nemoralis (Ephemeroptera: Caenidae) larvae. This sampling point also exhibited relevant physicochemical features, such as high water conductivity and nutrient levels as well as low contents of dissolved oxygen.
References
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BRABEC, K; S ZAHRÁDKOVÁ; D NMEJCOVÁ; P PAIL; J KOKE; ET AL. 2004. Assessment of organic pollution effect considering differences between lotic and lentic stream habitats. Hydrobiologia 516:331-346.
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CANFIELD, T; N KEMBLE; W BRUMBAUGH; F DWYER; C INGERSOLL; ET AL. 1994. Use of benthic invertebrate community structure and the sediment quality triad to evaluate metal-contaminated sediment in the Upper Clark Fork River, Montana. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 13:1999-2012.
CHAPMAN, P. 1990. The Sediment Quality Triad approach to determining pollution-induced degradation. Sci. Tot. Environ. 97-98:815-825.
CHAPMAN, P. 1996. Presentation and interpretation of Sediment Quality Triad data. Ecotoxicology 5:327-339.
CHAPMAN, P. 2007. Determining when contamination is pollution - Weight of evidence determinations for sediments and effl uents. Environ. Internat. 33:492-501.
CHAPMAN, P & E LONG. 1983. The use of bioassays as part of a comprehensive approach to marine pollution assessment. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 14:81-84.
COURTNEY, L & W CLEMENTS. 2001. Sensitivity to acidic pH in benthic invertebrate assemblages with different histories of exposure to metals. JNABS 19:112-127.
DEPETRIS, J. 1995. Los sedimentos fluviales y lacustres: granulometría y contenido de materia orgánica. Pp. 67-78 in: Lopretto, E & G Tell (eds.). Ecosistemas de aguas continentales, metodologías para su estudio. Ediciones Sur, La Plata.
FERNÁNDEZ, H & E DOMÍNGUEZ. 2001. Guía para la determinación de los artrópodos bentónicos sudamericanos. EudeT. Serie: Investigaciones de la UNT. Pp. 282.
FORBES, V & P CALLOW. 2004. Systematic approach to weight of evidence in sediment quality assessment: Challenges and opportunities. Aquat. Ecosyst. Health & Manag. 7:339-350.
FRIBERG, N; J SKRIVER; S LARSEN; M PEDERSEN & A BUFFAGNI. 2009. Stream macroinvertebrate occurrence along gradients in organic pollution and eutrophication. Fresh. Biol. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2427.2008.02164.x.
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GERHARDT, A; L JANSSENS DE BISTHOVEN & A SOARES. 2004. Macroinvertebrate response to acid mine drainage: community metrics and on-line behavioural toxicity bioassay. Environ. Pollut. 130:263-274.
GOODYEAR, K & S MC NEILL. 1999. Bioaccumulation of heavy metals by aquatic macroinvertebrates of different feeding guilds: a review. Sci. Tot. Environ. 229:1-19.
GRAÇA, M; A RODRIGUES CAPÍTULO; CS OCON & N GÓMEZ. 2002. In situ assays for pollution assessment in pampean (Argentina) streams. Wat. Res. 36:4033-4040.
GREVE, G; H VAN DER GEEST; S STUIJFZAND; S ENGELS & M KRAAK. 1998. Development of ecotoxicity test using laboratory reared larvae of the riverine caddisflies Hydropsyche angustipennis and Cyrnus trimaculatus. Proc. Experimental & Applied Entomology N.E.V. Amsterdam 9:205-210.
GREVE, G; H VAN DER GEEST; S STUIJFZAND; A KURECK & M KRAAK. 1999. Development and validation of an ecotoxicity test using fi eld collected eggs of the riverine mayfly Ephoron virgo. Proc. Experimental & Applied Entomology N.E.V. Amsterdam 10:105-110.
HERING, D; R JOHNSON; S KRAMM; S SCHMUTZ; K SZOSZKIEWICZ; ET AL. 2006. Assessment of European streams with diatoms, macrophytes, macroinvertebrates and fish: a comparative metric-based analysis of organism response to stress. Fresh. Biol. 51:1757-1785.
JERGENTZ, S; P PESSACQ; H MUGNI; C BONETTO & R SCHULZ. 2004. Linking in situ bioassays and population dynamics of macroinvertebrates to assess agricultural contamination in streams of the Argentine pampa. Ecotox. Environ. Safety 59:133-141.
JONSSON, M; O DANGLES; B MALMQVIST & F GUEROLD. 2002. Simulating species loss following perturbation: assessing the effects on process rates. Proc. Royal Soc. London B 269:1047-1052.
KAROUNA-RENIER, N & J ZEHR. 2003. Short-term exposures to chronically toxic copper concentrations induce HSP 70 proteins in midge larvae (Chironomus tentans). Sci. Tot. Environ. 312:267-272.
KARR, J & D DUDLEY. 1981. Ecological perspectives on water quality. Environ. Manag. 5:55-68.
KERANS, BL & JR KARR. 1994. A benthic index of biotic integrity (B-IBI) for rivers of the Tennessee Valley. Ecol. Appl. 4:768-785.
LESLIE, H; T PAVLUK; A BIJ DE VAATE & M KRAAK. 1999. Triad assessment of the impact of Chromium contamination on benthic macroinvertebrates in the Chusovaya river (Urals, Russia). Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 37:182- 189.
LONG, E; M DUTCH; S AASEN; K WELCH; M HAMEEDI. 2003. Chemical Contamination, Acute Toxicity in Laboratory Tests, and Benthic Impacts in Sediments of Puget Sound: A summary of results of the joint 1997-1999 Ecology/NOAA survey. Washington State Deptartment of Ecology, Publication No 03-03-049 and NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS CCMA No 163. Washington State Department of Ecology, Olympia, WA.
LOPRETTO, E & G TELL (EDS.). 1995. Ecosistemas de aguas continentales, metodologías para su estudio. Ediciones Sur, La Plata.
MAGURRAN, A. 2004. Measuring biological diversity. Blakwell Science Ltd., United Kingdom.
MALMQVIST, B & P HOFFSTEN. 1999. Influence of drainage from old mine deposits on benthic macroinvertebrates communities in central Swedish streams. Wat. Res. 33: 2415-2423.
MERRITT, R & KW CUMMINS. 1996. Trophic relations of macroinvertebrates. Pp. 453-474 in Merritt, R & KW Cummins (eds.). An introduction to the aquatic insects of North America. 3rd edition. Kendall/Hunt, Dubuque, Iowa.
MOSTO CASCALLAR, P & G TELL. 1995. Cultivo y aislamiento de algas. Pp. 297-312 in: Lopretto, E & G Tell (eds.). Ecosistemas de aguas continentales, metodologías para su estudio. Ediciones Sur, La Plata.
NDARUGA, A; G NDIRITU; N GICHUKI & W WAMICHA. 2004. Impact of water quality on macroinvertebrate assemblages along a tropical stream in Kenya. Afr. J. Ecol. 42:208-216.
OCON, C & A RODRIGUES CAPÍTULO. 2004. Presence and abundance of Ephemeroptera and other sensitive invertebrates in relation with habitat conditions in pampean streams (Buenos Aires, Argentina). Arch. Hydrobiol. 159:473-487.
PRENDA, J & A GALLARDO-MAYENCO. 1996. Self-purification, temporal variability and the macroinvertebrate community in small lowland Mediterranean streams receiving crude domestic sewage effluents. Arch. Hydrobiol. 136:159-170.
REYNOLDSON, T & M ZARULL. 1989. The biological assessment of contaminated sediments: the Detroit River example. Hydrobiologia 188-189:463-476.
RODRIGUES CAPÍTULO, A; M TANGORRA & C OCON. 2001. Use of benthic macroinvertebrates to assess the ecological status of pampean streams in Argentina. Aquat. Ecol. 35:109-119.
STRIEDER, M; L RONCHI; C STENERT; R THORMANN SCHERER & U NEISS. 2006. Medidas biológicas e índices de qualidade da água de uma microbacia com poluição urbana e de curtumes no Sul do Brasil. Acta Biologica Leopondensia 28:17-24.
TER BRAAK, C & P SMILAUER. 2002. CANOCO reference manual and CanoDraw for Windows user’s guide: software for canonical community ordination (version 4.5). Microcomputer Power, Ithaca, NY, USA.
TIMM, H; M IVASK & T MÖLS. 2001. Response of macroinvertebrates and water quality to long-term decrease in organic pollution in some Estonian streams during 1990-1998. Hydrobiologia 464:153-164.
VAN DER GEEST, H; G GREVE; B SCHEPER; E DE HAAS; S STUIJFZAND; ET AL. 1998. Key factors limiting the distribution of sensitive aquatic insects species: effects of copper and diazinon on larvae of the caddisfly Hydropsyche angustipennis (Trichoptera). Proc. of the 9th International Symposium on Trichoptera. Pp. 117-122.
WINGER, P; P LASIER & K BOGENREIDER. 2005. Combined use of rapid bioassessment protocols and sediment quality triad to assess stream quality. Environ. Monitor. Assess. 100:267-295.
APHA. 1998. Standard methods for the examination of water. 20th Ed. American Public Health Association. Washington, D.C.
BARBOUR, MT; J GERRITSEN; GE GRIFFITH; R FRYDENBORG; E MCCARRON; ET AL. 1996. A framework for biological criteria for Florida streams using benthicmacroinverte brates. J. N. Am. Benthol. Soc. 15:185-211.
BAUER, DE; J DONADELLI; N GÓMEZ; M LICURSI; CS OCON; ET AL. 2002. Ecological status of the Pampean plain streams and rivers (Argentina). Verhand. Internat. Verein theoret. Limnol. 28:259-262.
BESSER, J; J GIESY; J KUBITZ; D VERBRUGGE; T COON; ET AL. 1996. Assessment of sediment quality in dredged and undredged areas of the Trenton Channel of the Detroit River, Michigan USA, using the Sediment Quality Triad. J. Great Lakes Res. 22:683-696.
BRABEC, K; S ZAHRÁDKOVÁ; D NMEJCOVÁ; P PAIL; J KOKE; ET AL. 2004. Assessment of organic pollution effect considering differences between lotic and lentic stream habitats. Hydrobiologia 516:331-346.
CABRERA, A. 1971. Fitogeografia de America Latina. Rev. Soc. Arg. Bot. 14:1-42.
CANFIELD, T; N KEMBLE; W BRUMBAUGH; F DWYER; C INGERSOLL; ET AL. 1994. Use of benthic invertebrate community structure and the sediment quality triad to evaluate metal-contaminated sediment in the Upper Clark Fork River, Montana. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 13:1999-2012.
CHAPMAN, P. 1990. The Sediment Quality Triad approach to determining pollution-induced degradation. Sci. Tot. Environ. 97-98:815-825.
CHAPMAN, P. 1996. Presentation and interpretation of Sediment Quality Triad data. Ecotoxicology 5:327-339.
CHAPMAN, P. 2007. Determining when contamination is pollution - Weight of evidence determinations for sediments and effl uents. Environ. Internat. 33:492-501.
CHAPMAN, P & E LONG. 1983. The use of bioassays as part of a comprehensive approach to marine pollution assessment. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 14:81-84.
COURTNEY, L & W CLEMENTS. 2001. Sensitivity to acidic pH in benthic invertebrate assemblages with different histories of exposure to metals. JNABS 19:112-127.
DEPETRIS, J. 1995. Los sedimentos fluviales y lacustres: granulometría y contenido de materia orgánica. Pp. 67-78 in: Lopretto, E & G Tell (eds.). Ecosistemas de aguas continentales, metodologías para su estudio. Ediciones Sur, La Plata.
FERNÁNDEZ, H & E DOMÍNGUEZ. 2001. Guía para la determinación de los artrópodos bentónicos sudamericanos. EudeT. Serie: Investigaciones de la UNT. Pp. 282.
FORBES, V & P CALLOW. 2004. Systematic approach to weight of evidence in sediment quality assessment: Challenges and opportunities. Aquat. Ecosyst. Health & Manag. 7:339-350.
FRIBERG, N; J SKRIVER; S LARSEN; M PEDERSEN & A BUFFAGNI. 2009. Stream macroinvertebrate occurrence along gradients in organic pollution and eutrophication. Fresh. Biol. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2427.2008.02164.x.
GERHARDT, A (ED.). 1999. Biomonitoring of Polluted Water. Reviews on Actual Topics. Environmental Research Forum 9, TransTech Publ., Zürich, Switzerland.
GERHARDT, A; L JANSSENS DE BISTHOVEN & A SOARES. 2004. Macroinvertebrate response to acid mine drainage: community metrics and on-line behavioural toxicity bioassay. Environ. Pollut. 130:263-274.
GOODYEAR, K & S MC NEILL. 1999. Bioaccumulation of heavy metals by aquatic macroinvertebrates of different feeding guilds: a review. Sci. Tot. Environ. 229:1-19.
GRAÇA, M; A RODRIGUES CAPÍTULO; CS OCON & N GÓMEZ. 2002. In situ assays for pollution assessment in pampean (Argentina) streams. Wat. Res. 36:4033-4040.
GREVE, G; H VAN DER GEEST; S STUIJFZAND; S ENGELS & M KRAAK. 1998. Development of ecotoxicity test using laboratory reared larvae of the riverine caddisflies Hydropsyche angustipennis and Cyrnus trimaculatus. Proc. Experimental & Applied Entomology N.E.V. Amsterdam 9:205-210.
GREVE, G; H VAN DER GEEST; S STUIJFZAND; A KURECK & M KRAAK. 1999. Development and validation of an ecotoxicity test using fi eld collected eggs of the riverine mayfly Ephoron virgo. Proc. Experimental & Applied Entomology N.E.V. Amsterdam 10:105-110.
HERING, D; R JOHNSON; S KRAMM; S SCHMUTZ; K SZOSZKIEWICZ; ET AL. 2006. Assessment of European streams with diatoms, macrophytes, macroinvertebrates and fish: a comparative metric-based analysis of organism response to stress. Fresh. Biol. 51:1757-1785.
JERGENTZ, S; P PESSACQ; H MUGNI; C BONETTO & R SCHULZ. 2004. Linking in situ bioassays and population dynamics of macroinvertebrates to assess agricultural contamination in streams of the Argentine pampa. Ecotox. Environ. Safety 59:133-141.
JONSSON, M; O DANGLES; B MALMQVIST & F GUEROLD. 2002. Simulating species loss following perturbation: assessing the effects on process rates. Proc. Royal Soc. London B 269:1047-1052.
KAROUNA-RENIER, N & J ZEHR. 2003. Short-term exposures to chronically toxic copper concentrations induce HSP 70 proteins in midge larvae (Chironomus tentans). Sci. Tot. Environ. 312:267-272.
KARR, J & D DUDLEY. 1981. Ecological perspectives on water quality. Environ. Manag. 5:55-68.
KERANS, BL & JR KARR. 1994. A benthic index of biotic integrity (B-IBI) for rivers of the Tennessee Valley. Ecol. Appl. 4:768-785.
LESLIE, H; T PAVLUK; A BIJ DE VAATE & M KRAAK. 1999. Triad assessment of the impact of Chromium contamination on benthic macroinvertebrates in the Chusovaya river (Urals, Russia). Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 37:182- 189.
LONG, E; M DUTCH; S AASEN; K WELCH; M HAMEEDI. 2003. Chemical Contamination, Acute Toxicity in Laboratory Tests, and Benthic Impacts in Sediments of Puget Sound: A summary of results of the joint 1997-1999 Ecology/NOAA survey. Washington State Deptartment of Ecology, Publication No 03-03-049 and NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS CCMA No 163. Washington State Department of Ecology, Olympia, WA.
LOPRETTO, E & G TELL (EDS.). 1995. Ecosistemas de aguas continentales, metodologías para su estudio. Ediciones Sur, La Plata.
MAGURRAN, A. 2004. Measuring biological diversity. Blakwell Science Ltd., United Kingdom.
MALMQVIST, B & P HOFFSTEN. 1999. Influence of drainage from old mine deposits on benthic macroinvertebrates communities in central Swedish streams. Wat. Res. 33: 2415-2423.
MERRITT, R & KW CUMMINS. 1996. Trophic relations of macroinvertebrates. Pp. 453-474 in Merritt, R & KW Cummins (eds.). An introduction to the aquatic insects of North America. 3rd edition. Kendall/Hunt, Dubuque, Iowa.
MOSTO CASCALLAR, P & G TELL. 1995. Cultivo y aislamiento de algas. Pp. 297-312 in: Lopretto, E & G Tell (eds.). Ecosistemas de aguas continentales, metodologías para su estudio. Ediciones Sur, La Plata.
NDARUGA, A; G NDIRITU; N GICHUKI & W WAMICHA. 2004. Impact of water quality on macroinvertebrate assemblages along a tropical stream in Kenya. Afr. J. Ecol. 42:208-216.
OCON, C & A RODRIGUES CAPÍTULO. 2004. Presence and abundance of Ephemeroptera and other sensitive invertebrates in relation with habitat conditions in pampean streams (Buenos Aires, Argentina). Arch. Hydrobiol. 159:473-487.
PRENDA, J & A GALLARDO-MAYENCO. 1996. Self-purification, temporal variability and the macroinvertebrate community in small lowland Mediterranean streams receiving crude domestic sewage effluents. Arch. Hydrobiol. 136:159-170.
REYNOLDSON, T & M ZARULL. 1989. The biological assessment of contaminated sediments: the Detroit River example. Hydrobiologia 188-189:463-476.
RODRIGUES CAPÍTULO, A; M TANGORRA & C OCON. 2001. Use of benthic macroinvertebrates to assess the ecological status of pampean streams in Argentina. Aquat. Ecol. 35:109-119.
STRIEDER, M; L RONCHI; C STENERT; R THORMANN SCHERER & U NEISS. 2006. Medidas biológicas e índices de qualidade da água de uma microbacia com poluição urbana e de curtumes no Sul do Brasil. Acta Biologica Leopondensia 28:17-24.
TER BRAAK, C & P SMILAUER. 2002. CANOCO reference manual and CanoDraw for Windows user’s guide: software for canonical community ordination (version 4.5). Microcomputer Power, Ithaca, NY, USA.
TIMM, H; M IVASK & T MÖLS. 2001. Response of macroinvertebrates and water quality to long-term decrease in organic pollution in some Estonian streams during 1990-1998. Hydrobiologia 464:153-164.
VAN DER GEEST, H; G GREVE; B SCHEPER; E DE HAAS; S STUIJFZAND; ET AL. 1998. Key factors limiting the distribution of sensitive aquatic insects species: effects of copper and diazinon on larvae of the caddisfly Hydropsyche angustipennis (Trichoptera). Proc. of the 9th International Symposium on Trichoptera. Pp. 117-122.
WINGER, P; P LASIER & K BOGENREIDER. 2005. Combined use of rapid bioassessment protocols and sediment quality triad to assess stream quality. Environ. Monitor. Assess. 100:267-295.
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2012-08-01
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Ocon, C. S., & Rodrigues Capítulo, A. (2012). Assessment of water quality in temperate-plain streams (Argentina, South America) using a multiple approach. Ecología Austral, 22(2), 081–091. Retrieved from https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/1251
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