TITLE:
Responses of Aquatic Vegetation to Pollution: Preliminary Results on Ecotoxicological Effects and Bioenrichment Factors
AUTHORS:
Monia Renzi, Andrea Giovani, Silvano E. Focardi
KEYWORDS:
Morpho-Physiological Endpoints; Trace Elements; Surfactants; BCFs; Macrophytes; Macroalgae
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.5 No.4,
March
25,
2014
ABSTRACT:
This
study evaluates, on a preliminary basis, the principal morpho-physiological
effects induced by pollution stress in four aquatic vegetation species of great
ecological relevance in transitional water ecosystems. Three macroalgae (Chaetomorpha linum, Valonia aegagrophyla, Graciliariopsis longissima) and one phanerogams species (Ruppia cirrhosa) were exposed to
different doses of trace elements (Cu, Hg, Zn) and surfactants
(dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid sodium salt) in laboratory controlled microcosm
conditions and morpho-physiological responses (photosynthetic complex
alteration, percentage of died cells, morphological changes) were measured
before and after 7 and 14 days of exposure. Levels of pollutants in tissues and
BioConcentration Factors (BCF) for each species were calculated after 14 days
of exposure. Results suggest that photosynthetic complex alteration can be a
useful tool to evaluate early and sub-lethal significant changes due to
exposure to pollution stress in all of the considered species. A clear
species-specificity was observed concerning trace element levels in tissues
after 14 days of exposure, while dose-dependent behavior was observed for BCFs.