Wilhelmine J. Muller

The impact of water quality deterioration on macroinvertebrate communities in the Swartkops River, South Africa: a multimetric approach

A multimetric approach, using 21 metrics representing five categories — abundance, composition, richness, diversity and biotic indices — was applied to investigate the impacts of water quality deterioration on macro-invertebrate communities in the Swartkops River. Macroinvertebrates were sampled seasonally between August 2009 and July 2010 using the South African Scoring System version 5 (SASS5) protocol at one reference site upstream of Uitenhage and three downstream sites. Assessment of water quality impacts on macroinvertebrates was based on the discriminatory ability of metrics between the reference and impaired sites, and on their correlation with the physico-chemical variables. The metrics’ discriminatory ability was explored using box plots, and their relationships with water chemistry variables elucidated with Pearsons correlation. Trichoptera abundance, %Chironomidae + Oligochaeta, %Ephemeroptera–Trichoptera–Odonata–Coleoptera (ETOC), %Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera–Plecoptera–Trichoptera (EPT) richness, ETOC richness, Margalefs family richness index, equitability, Shannon and Simpson diversity indices, SASS5 score and average score per taxon (ASPT) discriminated between the reference and impacted sites, and also exhibited significant correlations (p < 0.05) with water chemistry variables. Conversely, Gastropoda abundance, EPT abundance, ETOC abundance, EPT:Chironomidae ratio, %EPT, %Corixidae, %Oligochaeta + Hirudinae, Chironomidae + Oligochaeta abundance and Hemiptera + Diptera richness did not discriminate between the reference and impacted sites.

Microbial Monitoring of Surface Water in South Africa: An Overview

Infrastructural problems force South African households to supplement their drinking water consumption from water resources of inadequate microbial quality. Microbial water quality monitoring is currently based on the Colilert®18 system which leads to rapidly available results. Using Escherichia coli as the indicator microorganism limits the influence of environmental sources on the reported results. The current system allows for understanding of long-term trends of microbial surface water quality and the related public health risks. However, rates of false positive for the Colilert®18-derived concentrations have been reported to range from 7.4% to 36.4%. At the same time, rates of false negative results vary from 3.5% to 12.5%; and the Colilert medium has been reported to provide for cultivation of only 56.8% of relevant strains. Identification of unknown sources of faecal contamination is not currently feasible. Based on literature review, calibration of the antibiotic-resistance spectra of Escherichia coli or the bifidobacterial tracking ratio should be investigated locally for potential implementation into the existing monitoring system. The current system could be too costly to implement in certain areas of South Africa where the modified H2S strip test might be used as a surrogate for the Colilert®18.

Mayfly (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) community structure as an indicator of the ecological status of a stream in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria.

Ephemeroptera is an important group of insects used in the bioassessment and monitoring of freshwater bodies worldwide because of their relative abundance in a wide variety of substrates and their increasing chances of detecting pollution impacts. In this study, their faunistic composition and spatiotemporal variations in density and diversity in River Orogodo (Southern Nigeria) was investigated at five ecologically distinct stations over a 12-month period. The mayfly nymph community responses to environmental variables were evaluated by means of biological measures and multivariate analysis (redundancy analysis [RDA]). Thirteen morphologically distinct taxa belonging to six families were identified. The dominant taxa were Afrobaetodes pusillus (23.1%), Baetis sp. (13.7%), and Caenis cibaria (11.4%). The density of Ephemeroptera differed significantly (pu2009<u20090.05) both in space and time. Diversity was influenced by substrate heterogeneity which in turn was influenced by catchment processes such as flooding and anthropogenic activities especially abattoir effluent. Based on the RDA ordination and relative abundance data, Baetis sp. dominated at impacted stations while a more equitable distribution of species were observed in less disturbed sites. Water velocity, canopy cover, nature of bottom sediments, and the amount of dissolved oxygen also accounted for the variations in Ephemeroptera densities at the different stations. Shannon diversity, taxa richness, and evenness were lowest in station 3 (the abattoir discharge site).

Derivation of South African water quality guidelines for Roundup® using species sensitivity distribution

Glyphosate-based herbicides are among the leading products used in South Africa to control weeds and invading alien plant species. Although these herbicides ultimately find their way into aquatic ecosystems, South Africa has no water quality guideline based on indigenous species to protect the countrys aquatic biota against these biocides. In this study, South African water quality guidelines (SAWQGs) for Roundup(®) based on species sensitivity distribution (SSD) using indigenous aquatic biota were developed. Short-term and long-term toxicity tests were conducted with eight different aquatic species belonging to five different taxonomic groups. Static non-renewal experimental methods were employed for short-term lethal tests (≤4 days), and static renewal for long-term sublethal tests (≥4 days ≤21 days). LC50 values for animal exposure and EC50 values for algae were calculated using probit analysis and linear regression of transformed herbicide concentration as natural logarithm data against percentage growth inhibition, respectively. No effect concentration (NEC) was determined based on the dynamic energy budget model, using survival data. The LC50, EC50 and NEC values were used to develop species sensitivity distribution (SSD) concentrations for Roundup(®). Based on the SSD concentrations, the short-term and long-term SAWQGs for Roundup(®) were derived as 0.250 (0.106-0.589) mg/L, and 0.002 (0.000-0.021) mg/L, respectively. These WQGs may be useful in protecting South African aquatic life against transient or long-term exposure to glyphosate-based chemicals as part of integrated water resources management.

A chronic toxicity test protocol using Caridina nilotica (Decapoda: Atyidae) and the generation of salinity toxicity data

Salinization of freshwater resources is an increasing global problem, yet there is a paucity of chronic salinity tolerance data linked to very few chronic toxicity test protocols. This research aimed to generate a chronic toxicity test protocol and protective salinity tolerance data for the indigenous South African freshwater shrimp Caridina nilotica. In addition, the theory that LC5s (concentration causing 5% lethality) are indicative of No Observed Effect Concentrations (NOECs) was tested. NaCl and Na2SO4 were used as toxicants as they are indicative of natural and industrial salinization, respectively. NOEC values of 1.9 g l–1 were calculated for both salts. Within the chronic toxicity tests, LC5s that were calculated using regression methods approximated the calculated NOEC values for both salts. Chronic NOECs calculated here are lower, by a factor of 3, than the acute LC50s calculated for the same species and salts. Although evidence exists to suggest that C. nilotica is generally sensitive to toxicants, it was found to be not particularly sensitive to salinity. However, the species was found to be a good chronic toxicity test organism for partial life-cycle toxicity tests where growth was measured as the test endpoint, and may yield valuable chronic toxicity data for other toxicants.

An assessment of two-step linear regression and multifactor probit analysis as alternatives to acute to chronic ratios in the estimation of chronic response from acute toxicity data to derive water quality guidelines

Abstract In aquatic ecotoxicology, acute to chronic ratios (ACRs) are often used to predict chronic responses from available acute data to derive water quality guidelines, despite many problems associated with this method. This paper explores the comparative protectiveness and accuracy of predicted guideline values derived from the ACR, linear regression analysis (LRA), and multifactor probit analysis (MPA) extrapolation methods applied to acute toxicity data for aquatic macroinvertebrates. Although the authors of the LRA and MPA methods advocate the use of extrapolated lethal effects in the 0.01% to 10% lethal concentration (LC0.01–LC10) range to predict safe chronic exposure levels to toxicants, the use of an extrapolated LC50 value divided by a safety factor of 5 was in addition explored here because of higher statistical confidence surrounding the LC50 value. The LRA LC50/5 method was found to compare most favorably with available experimental chronic toxicity data and was therefore most likely to be sufficiently protective, although further validation with the use of additional species is needed. Values derived by the ACR method were the least protective. It is suggested that there is an argument for the replacement of ACRs in developing water quality guidelines by the LRA LC50/5 method.

Lipid peroxidation in the freshwater shrimp Caridina nilotica as a biomarker of Roundup ® herbicide pollution of freshwater systems in South Africa

Glyphosate-based herbicides used to control weeds and invading alien plant species in South Africa ultimately end up in freshwater ecosystems, but no South African environmental water quality guideline exists to regulate these bio-active chemicals. Ecotoxicological tests to assess the possibility of using lipid peroxidation (LPx) in Caridina nilotica as a potential biomarker of Roundup(®), a glyphosate-based herbicide, pollution were conducted. In two separate tests, 40 days post hatch shrimps were exposed to different concentrations of 4.3, 6.7, 10.5, 16.4, 25.6 and 40.0 mg/L in a 96 h acute toxicity test; and 2.2, 2.8, 3.4, 4.3 and 5.4 mg/L in a 21 d chronic toxicity test, using static-non renewal and static-renewal methods, respectively. Shrimp whole body LPx was estimated by thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) assay, performed by a malondialdehyde (MDA) reaction with 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA) measured spectrophotometrically. Final MDA concentrations were expressed as nmol MDA produced/mg protein. Results showed that LPx was significantly lower in control animals than in animals exposed to different Roundup(®) concentrations, (p < 0.05). The present work provides an ecotoxicological basis for the possible use of LPx in Caridina nilotica as a biomarker for monitoring Roundup(®) pollution in freshwater ecosystems.

Survival of Bifidobacteria and their usefulnessin Faecal Source Tracking

Abstract: Bifidobacteria have long since been recommended as indicators of human and animal pollution. Concentration ratio (tracking ratio) of the sorbitol-utilising bifidobacteria (SUB) and the total bifidobacteria (TB) can be used to distinguish between animal and human sources of faecal water contamination. The cut-off value needs to be calibrated in a given geographical area. Seven sites with permanent faecal contamination were selected in South Africa. Concentrations of SUB ranged from 10-50000 cells/100 mL, while TB ranged from 0-8000 cells/100 mL. The tracking ratio ranged from 0.10 to 6.25, but no clear cut-off value could be established. The YN-17 agar was replaced for TB with the modified Beerens medium with pH = 5.70, to suppress the growth of faecal streptococci. Tracking ratios observed are most likely the results of different survival rates of SUB and TB. Bifidobacteria die-off due to nutrients was not found to be significant using design of experiment. Thus a lack of continuous input or oxygen levels in water may be major factors. This would limit the ratios used as a faecal source tracking method.

Acetylcholinesterase activity in the freshwater shrimp Caridina nilotica as a biomarker of Roundup(®) herbicide pollution of freshwater systems in South Africa.

The use of Caridina nilotica whole-body acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity as a potential biomarker of Roundup(®) pollution of aquatic ecosystems was investigated. Forty days post hatch (dph) shrimps were exposed to different concentrations of 0.0, 4.3, 6.7, 10.5, 16.4, 25.6 and 40.0 mg/L in a 96 h acute toxicity test; and 0.0, 2.2, 2.8, 3.4, 4.3 and 5.4 mg/L in a 21 d chronic toxicity test. Whole-body AChE activities were determined at the end of the exposure periods by spectrophotometric assay of sample extract; activities were then normalized against protein contents in the samples and expressed in nanomoles of substrate hydrolyzed. Results of both tests showed that AChE activity was concentration-dependent. Mean AChE activities and standard deviations (±SD) for 96 h acute toxicity were 3.6239 (± 0.4185), 3.4157 (± 1.1842), 2.537 (± 1.3989), 2.4253 (± 1.4202), 2.4127 (± 1.9097), 2.0017 (± 1.1080) and 2.316 (± 0.4001) nmol/min/mg protein; while activity levels for 21 d test were 3.6907(± 0.3401), 2.8473 (± 0.713), 2.9134 (± 0.9879), 2.6738 (± 0.7117), 2.3019 (± 0.4464) and 2.1478 (± 0.864) nmol/min/mg protein. Reference basal AChE activity for 40 dph C. nilotica based on the two control groups was estimated as 3.6907 (± 0.3401) nmol/min/mg proteins. The present work provides ecotoxicological basis for the possible use of AChE activity in C. nilotica as a biomarker for monitoring Roundup(®) pollution in freshwater systems.