Biomonitoring

Specimens of mussels species Anodonta anatina, Unio pictorum, U. tumidus and surfical sediment samples were collected in the summers of 1994 and 1995 from twelve lakes in the Danube Delta, Romania. Whole mussel tissues were analyzed for metals (Ag, As, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, Se and Zn), and sediment samples were subjected to weak acid extraction and to

Science popularization paper briefly introducing the diatom identification volume: Freshwater Benthic Diatoms of Central Europe (FBDCE): Over 800 Common Species Used in Ecological Assessment. M. Cantonati, M.G. Kelly & H. Lange-Bertalot (Eds.): 942 pp. Koeltz Botanical Books (ISBN 978-3-946583-06-6). English edition with updated taxonomy and added species of: Hofmann G., Werum M. & Lange-Bertalot H. 2013. Diatomeen im Süßwasser-Benthos von Mitteleuropa. Bestimmungsflora Kieselalgen für die ökologische Praxis. Über 700 der häufigsten Arten und ihre Ökologie. Lange-Bertalot, H. (Ed.): 908 pp. 2. korrigierte Aufl. Koeltz Botanical Books.
The principal goal of this volume is to provide an effective tool for diatom identification in applied ecology (diatom-based assessments and monitoring, environmental sciences etc.).

Two bed media were tested (gravel and Filtralite) in shallow horizontal subsurface flow (HSSF) constructed wetlands in order to evaluate the removal of ammonia and nitrate for different types of wastewater (acetate-based and domestic wastewater) and different COD/N ratios. The use of Filtralite allowed both higher mass removal rates (1.1 g NH4–N m2 d1 and 3 g NO3–N m2 d1) and removal efficiencies (>62% for ammonia, 90–100% for nitrate), in less than 2 weeks, when compared to the ones observed with gravel. The COD/N ratio seems to have no significant influence on nitrate removal and the removal of both ammonia and nitrate seems to have involved not only the conventional pathways of nitrification–denitrification. The nitrogen loading rate of both ammonia (0.8–2.4 g NH4–N m2 d1) and nitrate (0.6–3.2 g NO3–N m2 d1) seem to have influenced the respective removal rates.

This research work evaluates the impact of stormwater infiltration on the removal of organics, solids, nitrogen and phosphorus in a LECA-based horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland. Stormwater runoff for the period between January 2008 and June 2010 (30 months) was estimated for the drainage basin of the Vila Fernando wastewater treatment plant (constructed wetland system) and it was observed proportionality between the increase in surface runoff and the infiltration flow rate that reached the plant. The average stormwater infiltration rate that reached the plant was 67.4 m(3) d(-1) (77% of the influent flow rate into the plant). The 30 month monitoring campaign set up at one of the reed beds showed that stormwater infiltration led to a high variation of the hydraulic loading rate (HLR) throughout the bed, which affected its performance in the removal of organic matter, suspended solids and nitrogen. For a HLR below 20 cm d-1 the removal efficiencies for BOD5, COD and TSS doubled. The removal of nitrogen was too low and was associated with the weak development of nitrifying biofilm and the poor growth of reeds. However, it was observed a good relationship between the applied and removed loads for most of the parameters, which seems to indicate that the organic, solid, nitrogen and phosphorus loading rates influenced the respective removal rates. The use of a bed material with high specific surface area, such as LECA, can only improve the treatment capacity of horizontal subsurface flow systems if the organic and solid loading rates, as well as the HLR, can be effectively controlled.

Albania is rich in aquatic resources with high natural and biological values. Nevertheless, the waters still continue to be endangered, especially in western Adriatic Lowland areas. The structure of microscopic algae may give a better idea of water quality than traditional indicators. Systematic control of water quality will help to develop new strategies of wastewater management. It will allow Albania to reach international standards in environmental protection.

The differences of lead heavy metal accumulation in water, sediment and among seagrass of Thalassia hemprichii (roots, rhizomes and leaves) were conducted on Ambon Island, Maluku. Samples were taken from two areas ( Inner Ambon Bay and the southern part of the Ambon island) with a total of nine sampling sites based on seagrass distribution and land use. Pb was analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Pb metal content in the sediment is higher than the water and correlated significantly with the roots. The content of Pb on seagrass T. hemprichii showed a consistent pattern of accumulation at all the sites, where the Pb content in roots is higher than in the leaves and it is higher in the leaves than in the rhizomes. Thus the roots of the seagrass T. hemprichii can be used as bioindicators as well as biomonitoring of heavy metal pollution in the marine waters.

We evaluated the influence of environmental integrity and the potential as bioindicator of larval stages of species of Trichoptera in 20 streams of first to fourth order in the Pindaı´ba river basin, Mato Grosso, Central Brazil. We measured stream integrity with the habitat integrity index (HII), establishing three levels of conservation: preserved, altered and impacted environments. We used (i) simple regression to assess the effect of habitat integrity on species abundance of Trichoptera and (ii) the indicator species analysis (IndVal) to assess the potential as bioindicator of each species. We found that 12 morphospecies showed relationship with HII: six species were bioindicators of preserved and two species of altered environments. Morphospecies that showed relationship in the two analyses (i and ii) were considered strong bioindicators, considering that the other species supported higher environmental variation, becoming evident that loss of physical structure reduces the abundance of organisms specialized in preserved environments. The results showed that the distribution and abundance of trichopterans can be an indicator of habitat integrity. Trichopteran species have bioindicator potential, corroborating the hypotheses of this work that abundance
of organisms will be smaller in environments with low integrity, and that many species are specific to preserved environments, disappearing from impacted environments, and also characteristic species of altered environments.

Reclaimed water from small wastewater treatment facilities in the rural areas of the Beira Interior region (Portugal) may constitute an alternative water source for aquifer recharge. A 21-month monitoring period in a constructed wetland treatment system has shown that 21,500 m3 year−1 of treated wastewater
(reclaimed water) could be used for aquifer recharge. A GIS-based multi-criteria analysis was performed, combining ten thematic maps and economic, environmental and technical criteria, in order to produce a suitability map for the location of sites for reclaimed water infiltration. The areas chosen for aquifer
recharge with infiltration basins are mainly composed of anthrosol with more than 1 m deep and fine sand texture, which allows an average infiltration velocity of up to 1 m d−1. These characteristics will provide a final polishing treatment of the reclaimed water after infiltration (soil aquifer treatment (SAT)),
suitable for the removal of the residual load (trace organics, nutrients, heavy metals and pathogens).
The risk of groundwater contamination is low since the water table in the anthrosol areas ranges from 10 m to 50 m. On the other hand, these depths allow a guaranteed unsaturated area suitable for SAT. An area of 13,944 ha was selected for study, but only 1607 ha are suitable for reclaimed water infiltration.
Approximately 1280 m2 were considered enough to set up 4 infiltration basins to work in flooding and
drying cycles.

The levels of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAHs) were determined in 8 passive air samples (PAS) and 6
lichen transplants (Ramalina fastigiata) deployed for a period
of 2 months in different zones of Tarragona County
(Catalonia, Spain), an area with an important number of chemical and petrochemical industries. The accumulated amount of the sum of the 16 PAHs ranged between 1363 to 7866 ng/ sample in air samples. The highest concentration was found in the neighborhood of Puigdelfí (village of Perafort), in the vicinity of a big oil refinery and well under the potential influence of the petrochemical emissions. In lichen samples, the
sum of the 16 PAHs ranged between 247 and 841 ng/g (dry
weight), being the greatest value also observed in Puigdelfí.
Data on the levels and profiles of PAHs in both passive monitoring methods were compared. A significant positive linear correlation was found between the concentrations of low molecular weight PAHs in lichens and the amounts accumulated in passive air samples (R=0.827, P<0.05), being especially significant the correlation of 4-ring PAHs (R=0.941, P<0.05).
These results strongly suggest that lichens can be used to
monitor gas-phase PAHs, providing data that can be quantitatively translated into equivalents for air.

(english)
I. V. Karatygin, N. S. Snigirevskaya, and S. V. Vikulin
Komarov Botanical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Professora Popova 2, St. Petersburg, 197376 Russia

Silicified fossils from Rhynie cherts in Scotland are studied. A lichen belonging to the genus Winfrenatia is detected and studied. This oldest terrestrial lichen is dated to the Pragian (=Siegenian) of the Early Devonian. New characters of the lichen are described, and their new interpretation is given. The main component of the lichen thallus is a filamentous cyanobacterium (Nostocales). Structures which were interpreted as fungal hyphae are probably hollow sheaths of this cyanobacterium. Mycobiont hyphae develop at the base of the thallus and symbiose with a coccoid cyanobacterium. Thus, Winfrenatia reticulata is a three-parted organism, constituted of a mycobiont and filamentous and coccoid cyanobacteria.

Biomonitoring digital devices have become popular in physical activities and are receiving intensive focus as motivational and support vehicles for health. The aim of this article is to develop a new theoretical framework to analyze biomonitoring from the two perspectives constituting the opposite ends of the big data spectrum: individual (micro) and institutional (macro). In applying phenomenology of the body, discussions of choreography, and Latour's actor–network theory, I seek to evolve a choreography-based approach that can outline feedback systems between embodied practices and the macrolevel choreography of big data. Health informatics data as economic and political assets are illustrated based on netnography. Netnographic methodology pays close attention to online fieldwork and media texts. Emphasizing the lived body in the analysis of knowledge infrastructure, I aim to contribute to the theoretical discussion of human–data interaction. The findings suggest that highly intimate, personal technology can distance people from their lived bodies.

Mudskippers (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae) are air-breathing gobies, which are widely distributed throughout the West African coast and the Indo-Pacific region. They are closely linked to mangrove and adjacent soft bottom peri-tidal ecosystems. Some species are amongst the best adapted fishes to an amphibious lifestyle. All mudskippers are benthic burrowers in anoxic sediments, and since tidal mudflats are efficient sediment traps, and sinks for nutrients and other chemical compounds, they are constantly in contact with several types of pollutants produced by industrial, agricultural and domestic activities. Due to their natural abundance, considerable resistance to highly polluted conditions, and their benthic habits, mudskippers are frequently used in aquatic ecotoxicological studies. For the same reasons, mudskippers also frequently occur in urbanised or semi-natural coastal areas. Since several species are widely consumed throughout their whole geographical range, these same characteristics also facilitate their aquaculture in several countries, such as Bangladesh, Thailand, Philippines, China, Taiwan and Japan. Even when not directly used, mudskippers are often abundant and are important prey items for many intertidal transient species (marine visitors), and several species of shorebirds. Therefore, there is potential for bioaccumulation of toxicants wherever mudskippers and pollution co-occur. This chapter reviews the ecotoxicology of mudskippers, and their potential for use as biomonitors to better manage coastal swamp ecosystems. The diverse sympatric assemblages of mudskipper species allow for spatially differentiated ecotoxicological investigations along the whole intertidal zone, since adults are often territorial and/or sedentary, and show species-specific patterns of habitat differentiation. A case study is also proposed where this approach could be adopted to address potential health-risk issues in a local population who are regular consumers of mudskippers

Concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Ni, Co, Fe, Mn, and Hg were measured successively in water, sediments, and six macroalgal species belonging to three algal classes during 3 years (2008-2010) from Abu Qir Bay, Alexandria, Egypt: Chlorophyceae (Enteromorpha compressa, Ulva fasciata), Phaeophyceae (Padina boryana), and Rhodophyceae (Jania rubens, Hypnea musciformis, Pterocladia capillacea). The study aimed to assess the bioaccumulation potential of the seaweeds, as well as to evaluate the extent of heavy metal contamination in the selected study site. Metals were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry coupled with MH-10 hydride system. The obtained data showed that the highest mean concentrations of Cu, Zn, Fe, and Mn were recorded in E. compressa; Cd, Ni, and Hg exhibited their highest mean concentrations in P. boryana, while Pb and Co were found in J. rubens. Abundance of the heavy metals in the algal species was as follow: Fe &gt; Mn &gt; Zn &gt; Pb &gt; Ni &gt; Co &gt;...

The present review aims to describe the recent and most impactful applications in pollutant analysis using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) technology in environmental, food, and bio-clinical analysis. The covered papers were published in the last 5 years (2014-2019) thus providing the reader with information about the current state-of-the-art and the future potential directions of the research in pollutant monitoring using SPME. To this end, we revised the studies focused on the investigation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), pesticides, and emerging pollutants (EPs) including personal care products (PPCPs), in different environmental, food, and bio-clinical matrices. We especially emphasized the role that SPME is having in contaminant surveys following the path that goes from the environment to humans passing through the food web. Besides, this review covers the last technological developments encompassing the use of novel extraction coatings (e.g., metal-organic frameworks, covalent organic frameworks, PDMS-overcoated fiber), geometries (e.g., Arrow-SPME, multiple monolithic fiber-SPME), approaches (e.g., vacuum and cold fiber SPME), and on-site devices. The applications of SPME hyphenated with ambient mass spectrometry have also been described.

Bowman Creek is one of the most ecologically impaired tributaries of the St. Joseph River, a large river in the Lake Michigan drainage system. It has been rerouted underground through pipes and culverts for more than half of its downstream length. The City of South Bend is planning to restore portions of the stream to a more natural aboveground condition, with goals of improving hydrological, ecological, education and aesthetic values.

In this study, I investigated the effects of culverts on the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the stream ecosystem. Deployable dataloggers were used to characterize diel respiration curves. Water samples were analyzed for ammonium, nitrate, soluble reactive phosphorus and dissolved organic carbon. Biofilm samples were analyzed for chlorophyll a concentration and ash-free dry mass. Benthic macroinvertebrate samples were used to calculate indices of biotic integrity. The effect of culverts on stream ecosystem function could not be determined from this study. However, collected baseline data can be used to assess the progress of restoration efforts. Further research and continued long-term monitoring is needed to characterize the dynamics of underground urban streams and evaluate the restoration of Bowman Creek.

Macroinvertebrate species owing to their wide variation of response to pollutants
have been extensively utilized to evaluate quality of aquatic systems. Seasonal samples of
the macroinvertebrate community can indicate the effects of pollutant sources which may
not have been detected by either physico-chemical sampling or continuous monitoring of a
restricted range of parameters. The aim of this paper is to summarize aspects of
biomonitoring, utility of macroinvertebrates in predicting condition of aquatic systems and
the need for research with emphasis on recent advances.
Keywords: Aquatic ecosystem, benthic macroinvertebrates, indicators, pollution

In the context of an ecological approach of assessing pollution in lakes, biomonitoring render a strategic
method for estimating ecosystem health. Rapid bioassessment method using benthic macroinvertebrates as ecological
indicators was successfully applied in two study lakes, Veli-Akkulam and Vellayani lake of Kerala. The lakes were
surveyed for a period of two years for recording physicochemical variables of water and estimating the diversity of
benthic macroinvertebrates and biotic indices. The spatial and temporal variability in macroinvertebrate communities
and water quality showed noticeable ecological degradation in Veli-Akkulam lake. The taxonomic groups recorded
from Veli-Akkulam lake included Nematoda, Oligochaeta, Mollusca and Diptera. Conversely in Vellayani lake the
majority of the invertebrate taxa were dominated by aquatic insects of the order Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera, Odonata,
Hemiptera, Coleoptera. The pollution index HFBI values in Vellayani lake ranged from 3.35 to 4.33, while in Veli-
Akkulam lake it ranged from 6.63 to 8.25, indicating very poor water quality conditions in the latter. The percentage
EPT taxa and BMWP score showed distinct variation between Veli-Akkulam and Vellayani lakes, with highest
biological monitoring working party score recorded at Vellayani lake, substantiated by the presence of pollution
intolerant taxa such as Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera. Very low BMWP score values recorded at Veli-Akkulam lake
stations reflected the presence of pollution tolerant taxa particularly Oligocheates and many of the dipteran insects
with 24 genera under 15 families. The present paper discusses the reasons for ecological degradation of the Veli-
Akkulam lake and effectiveness of macroinvertebrates as bioindicators in pollution monitoring studies.

Bio-monitoring based on behavioral parameters has been used for a long time. In combination with ecological monitoring it can give a complete picture of ecosystem state e.g. marine ecosystem. Behavior biomarkers, such as valve movements, have proved to be very useful in environmental and aquatic pollution monitoring. The most used organisms in marine ecosystem monitoring are mussels. The measurements of mussel valve movements (valvometry) using remote sensing technologies were first implemented during 1989 as a warning tool for aquatic pollution. Since that time this method has been in use in biomonitoring studies. But, most importantly, it represent a non-invasive method for investigated organisms. To date, a lot of different studies on bivalves have been done based on this behavioral biomarker and they showed that it is a very useful tool in biomonitoring studies.

"It is critical that the impacts of environmental stressors on natural systems are detected, monitored and assessed accurately in order to legislate effectively and to protect and restore ecosystems. Biomonitoring underpins much of modern resource management, especially in fresh waters, and has received significant sums of money and research effort during its development. Despite this, the incorporation of science has not been effective and the management tools developed are sometimes inappropriate and poorly designed. Much biomonitoring has developed largely in isolation from general ecological theory, despite the fact that many of its fundamental principles ultimately stem from basic concepts, such as niche theory, the habitat template and the r–K continuum. Consequently, biomonitoring has not kept pace with scientific advances, which has compromised its ability to deal with emerging environmental stressors such as climate change and habitat degradation. A reconnection with its ecological roots and the incorporation of robust statistical frameworks are key to progress and meeting future challenges.

The vast amount of information already collected represents a potentially valuable, and largely untapped, resource that could be used more effectively in protecting ecosystems and in advancing general ecology. Biomonitoring programmes have often accumulated valuable long-term data series, which could be useful outside the scope of the original aims. However, it is timely to assess critically existing biomonitoring approaches to help ensure future programmes operate within a sound scientific framework and cost-effectively. Investing a small proportion of available budgets to review effectiveness would pay considerable dividends.

Increasing activity has been stimulated by new legislation that carries the threat of penalties for non-compliance with environmental targets, as is proposed, for example, in the EU's Water Framework Directive. If biomonitoring produces poor-quality data and has a weak scientific basis, it may lead either to unjustified burdens placed on the users of water resources, or to undetected environmental damage. We present some examples of good practice and suggest new ways to strengthen the scientific rigour that underpins biomonitoring programmes, as well as highlighting potentially rewarding new approaches and technologies that could complement existing methods."

This technical note aims to evaluate the ecological situation of Velhas River basin by means of a multimetric index, considering the benthic macroinvertebrate fauna as bioindicators of water quality. Twenty-eight sections were sampled, four times per year. The multimetric index evaluates water quality based on the values obtained: 6-12 values represent bad conditions; 13-18 fair conditions; 19- 24 good quality; and values between 25 and 30 represent a very good water quality conditions. The biomonitoring program showed increasing water quality along the basin, mostly downstream from the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte (MRBH), as a consequence of recently built Sewage Treatment Plants.

• Current biomonitoring approaches are widely used but have some limitations. • DNA metabarcoding provides a new complementary tool for biomonitoring. • Metabarcoding allows extending the range of taxa used as bioindicators. • Metabarcoding data could be used to establish molecular metrics and indices. • Future work should standardise procedures and improve data analysis. The bioassessment of aquatic ecosystems is currently based on various biotic indices that use the occurrence and/ or abundance of selected taxonomic groups to define ecological status. These conventional indices have some limitations, often related to difficulties in morphological identification of bioindicator taxa. Recent development of DNA barcoding and metabarcoding could potentially alleviate some of these limitations, by using DNA sequences instead of morphology to identify organisms and to characterize a given ecosystem. In this paper, we review the structure of conventional biotic indices, and we present the results of pilot metabarcoding studies using environmental DNA to infer biotic indices. We discuss the main advantages and pitfalls of metabarcoding approaches to assess parameters such as richness, abundance, taxonomic composition and species ecological values, to be used for calculation of biotic indices. We present some future developments to fully exploit the potential of metabarcoding data and improve the accuracy and precision of their analysis. We also propose some recommendations for the future integration of DNA metabarcoding to routine biomonitoring programs.