The purpose of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of potentially toxic elements in the Suches river using standardized geochemical indices and to identify the main sources of contamination in the section from the Suches lagoon up to 33.8 km downstream of the effluent river, in the district of Cojata, Puno, Peru. The concentration of Al, Ba, Co, Fe, M, Ni, P, V and Zn in sediments of the Suches river was determined by means of mass spectrometry from October 2019 to February 2020. The values of Co, Fe, Mn, Ni, P and Zn exceeded the base values of contamination according to the general geological references while Al, Ba and V, did not surpass them. The contamination factor showed that the elements Co and Ni revealed a very high level of contamination, while the Zn, a considerable level. The area has an average pollution load index value of 2.24, indicating moderate general pollution. The elements Co, Ni, Al and Zn were within the moderate and extreme classification according to the pollution index. The Spearman's correlation analysis allowed determining the association between Al, Fe, Mn, P and V, which share a natural origin and the accumulation of these elements is due to the effects of weathering and soil erosion. The evaluation of the contamination indices and the correlation confirm that Cobalt, Nickel and Zinc are toxic elements associated with gold mining and agricultural activities.

The biodegradation rates of single-use blended bioplastic packaging nylon, nylon 6, and cellulose polymer were assessed in aquatic environments in an attempt to identify real biodegradable bioplastics (RBB). The natural biodegradation rates of the test samples in freshwater and marine water were assessed by respirometric method following the procedure of the American Standard Testing and Materials. The experimental design was arranged thrice in a completely randomized design of 2x4x3. The physicochemical parameters were obtained using the standard methods while the rates of biodegradation were obtained by titration method. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistical method. At the end of 120 days, there were steady increase in the rates of biodegradation of cellulose and bioplastic samples across the fourth month in both freshwater and marine water. However, the rate of biodegradation in marine water were higher than in freshwater following the trend cellulose in marine (342 %) > cellulose in freshwater (259%) > bioplastics packaging nylon in marine (193%) > bioplastics packaging nylon in freshwater (175%). For nylon 6, the rate (-14) of retardation in the biodegradation process in Nylon 6 soaked in marine water is greater than that of Nylon 6 soaked in freshwater (-13). Consequently, nylon 6 was recalcitrant to biodegradation both in freshwater and marine water. The study concluded that the blended bioplastic packaging nylon is a real biodegradable bioplastic and could be suggested as a feasible and environmentally-friendly option to replace traditional plastics in the society.

In this paper the results of determination of natural waters from the territory of the township Smederevska Palanka and Rekovac (Serbia, Yugoslavia) are presented. The content of metals in waters was determined by the AAS method and other parameters were determined by spectrophotometric and potentiometric method.

During the 1994-1995, seasonal investigations of the fountainhead and spring region of the river Susica, near Uzice in West Serbia (Yugoslavia) were carried out. The bottom fauna composition, termic properties of air and water as well as chemical parameters were also determined. By the study of bottom composition 26 taxa were determined. The most uniform fauna was found in the Susica fountainhead while its diversity was increasing farther downstream the spring region.

MPI - Metal Pollution Index is being proposed with an aim improving the freshwater pollution control, monitoring and classification based on fish metal body burden. This is a simple mathematical model which enables presentation of Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn and Al fish liver concentration as a single value. After thorough studies of bioaccumulation, biomagnification and tissue distribution patterns, liver of Carassius auratus gibelio has been chosen as sentinel organ. Normal distribution and biological variation assessment is being achieved by using normalizers - reference values (liver concentrations of selected elements in fish from reference sites Vruje and Moharac micro water reservoirs, Serbia (Yugoslavia)). Selected representative sites have been evaluated according to new classification of freshwater ecosystem based on MPI values.

Due to technical limitations, there have been minimal studies performed on thermal preferences and thermotactic behaviors of aquatic ectotherm species commonly used in ecotoxicity testing. In this work, we demonstrate an innovative, purpose-built and miniaturized electrothermal array for rapid thermal preference behavioral tests. We applied the novel platform to define thermal preferences in multiple invertebrate and vertebrate species. Specifically, Dugesia notogaea (freshwater planarians), Chironomus tepperi (nonbiting midge larvae), Ostracoda (seed shrimp), Artemia franciscana (brine shrimp), Daphnia carinata (water flea), Austrochiltonia subtenuis (freshwater amphipod), Physa acuta (freshwater snail), Potamopyrgus antipodarum (New Zealand mud snail) and larval stage of Danio rerio (zebrafish) were tested. The Australian freshwater water fleas, amphipods, snail Physa acuta as well as zebrafish exhibited the most consistent preference to cool zones and clear avoidance of zones >27 °C out of nine species tested. Our results indicate the larval stage of zebrafish as the most responsive species highly suitable for prospective development of multidimensional behavioral test batteries. We also showcase preliminary data that environmentally relevant concentrations of pharmaceutical pollutants such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) ibuprofen (9800 ng/L) and insecticide imidacloprid (4600 ng/L) but not anti-depressant venlafaxine (2200 ng/L) and (iv) anticonvulsant medications gabapentin (400 ng/L) can perturb thermal preference behavior of larval zebrafish. Collectively our results demonstrate the utility of simple and inexpensive thermoelectric technology in rapid exploration of thermal preference in diverse species of aquatic animals. We postulate that more broadly such technologies can also have added value in ecotoxicity testing of emerging contaminants.

Despite the economic benefits of the oil and gas industry in Northern Alberta, significant concerns exist regarding the impacts of increased oil production on the environment and human health. Several studies have highlighted increases in the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) and other hydrocarbons in the atmosphere, water, soil and sediments, plants, wildlife and fish in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) as a result of oil sands industrial activity. Sediment cores can provide information on the temporal trends of contaminants to the environment and provide important baseline information when monitoring data are absent. Here we combined analytical chemistry and a mammalian cell-based bioassay in dated lake sediment cores to assess paleotoxicity in freshwater systems in the AOSR. Sediment intervals were radiometrically dated and subsequently analysed for PACs. PAC extracts from select dated intervals were used in cell-based bioassays to evaluate their endocrine disrupting properties. We demonstrated spatial and temporal variability in the PAC composition of sediment cores around the AOSR with some of the highest concentrations of PACs detected near oil sands industrial activity north of Fort McMurray (AB) in La Saline Natural Area. Recent sediment had positive enrichment factors across most PAC analytes at this site with heavier pyrogenic compounds such as benz(a)anthracene/chrysene and benzofluoranthene/benzopyrene dominating. Our study is the first to link chemical analysis of sediment cores with biological effect assessments of endocrine activity showing feasibility of extending the usefulness of sediment cores in monitoring programs interested in complex mixture assessments. While we observed no spatial or temporal differences in ERα mediated signaling, AhR CALUX results mirrored those of the chemical analysis, demonstrating the utility of coupling biological effects assessments to historical reconstructions of contaminant inputs to the natural environment.

Freshwater wetlands are natural sinks of carbon; yet, wetland conversion for agricultural uses can shift these carbon sinks into large sources of greenhouse gases. We know that the anthropogenic alteration of wetland hydrology and the broad use of N-fertilizers can modify biogeochemical cycling, however, the extent of their combined effect on greenhouse gases exchange still needs further research. Moreover, there has been recent interest in wetlands rehabilitation and preservation by improving natural water flow and by seeking alternative solutions to nutrient inputs. In a microcosm setting, we experimentally exposed soils to three inundation treatments (Inundated, Moist, Drained) and a nutrient treatment by adding high nitrogen load (300 kg ha⁻¹) to simulate physical and chemical disturbances. After, we measured the depth microprofiles of N₂O and O₂ concentration and CO₂ and CH₄ emission rates to determine how hydrological alteration and nitrogen input affect carbon and nitrogen cycling processes in inland wetland soils. Compared to the Control soils, N-fertilizer increased CO₂ emissions by 40% in Drained conditions and increased CH₄ emissions in Inundated soils over 90%. N₂O emissions from Moist and Inundated soils enriched with nitrogen increased by 17.4 and 18-fold, respectively. Overall, the combination of physical and chemical disturbances increased the Global Warming Potential (GWP) by 7.5-fold. The first response of hydrological rehabilitation, while typically valuable for CO₂ emission reduction, amplified CH₄ and N₂O emissions when combined with high nitrogen inputs. Therefore, this research highlights the importance of evaluating the potential interactive effects of various disturbances on biogeochemical processes when devising rehabilitation plans to rehabilitate degraded wetlands.

Organic ultraviolet absorbents (UVAs) are increasingly reported in environmental matrices and organisms. However, available information on the bioaccumulation of UVAs in freshwater species is insufficient and their trophodynamics in lake food webs remain unknown. We measured the concentrations of twelve UVAs in the wild species from Lake Chaohu. Except for UV-320 not detected, the other UVAs were prevalent in the study species and their total concentrations were in the range of 5.44–131 ng/g dry weight, which were comparable to the concentrations reported in other waters. Compound and species-specific accumulations of UVAs in the organisms were observed. In the lake, the log-transformed concentrations of 4-methyl benzylidene camphor, octyl p-dimethylaminobenzoate, UV-326, and UV-327 related significantly to the trophic levels of species separately. The calculated trophic magnification factors (TMFs) of the four UVAs were 3.79, implying trophic magnification, and 0.18, 0.40 and 0.58, suggesting trophic dilution, respectively. These suggested that the magnification potential and the associated risks of individual UVAs in freshwater lake differed. To our knowledge, this is the first report of these TMFs in lake food webs. However, more investigation is needed to characterize their trophodynamic behaviors in lakes because food web characteristics likely affect trophic transfer of these chemicals.