Abstract
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 200-208 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Aquatic Toxicology |
Volume | 189 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2017 |
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Chronic effects of atrazine exposure and recovery in freshwater benthic diatoms from two communities with different pollution histories. / Wood, Rebecca; Simon, Mitrovic; Lim, Richard; KEFFORD, Ben.
In: Aquatic Toxicology, Vol. 189, 2017, p. 200-208.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Chronic effects of atrazine exposure and recovery in freshwater benthic diatoms from two communities with different pollution histories
AU - Wood, Rebecca
AU - Simon, Mitrovic
AU - Lim, Richard
AU - KEFFORD, Ben
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - Diffuse agricultural runoff into rivers can result in contamination with herbicides for prolonged periods of time. Chronic exposure to herbicides has the potential to alter toxic impacts in primary producers such as benthic diatoms. Determining how individual diatom taxa respond to herbicide exposure over varied exposure durations is essential for assessing herbicide impacts. This study investigated the responses of various benthic diatom taxa and effects at the community level over 12 days of atrazine exposure. Diatom communities were collected from two sites with differing exposure histories; a relatively unpolluted site (Alligator Creek) and an agricultural stream (Barratta Creek) known to be polluted by atrazine and other herbicides. Diatom community composition and the proportion of healthy cells per taxon were assessed at 0, 2, 3, 6, 9 and 12 days of atrazine exposure. Pollution history altered the response of the diatom community to atrazine exposure. In the Alligator Creek diatom community there was a shift in composition towards more tolerant taxa and the loss of sensitive taxa in atrazine exposed treatments. The sensitive taxon (Gomphonema truncatum) was consistently affected by atrazine toxicity. Conversely, the polluted Barratta Creek diatom community was not strongly affected by atrazine exposure. Our study shows that during chronic atrazine exposure some taxa demonstrated the ability to recover despite initial toxicity response. Recovery could be an important trait for understanding the ecological effect of herbicide exposure on diatom species in nature and in applied circumstances such as biomonitoring indices.
AB - Diffuse agricultural runoff into rivers can result in contamination with herbicides for prolonged periods of time. Chronic exposure to herbicides has the potential to alter toxic impacts in primary producers such as benthic diatoms. Determining how individual diatom taxa respond to herbicide exposure over varied exposure durations is essential for assessing herbicide impacts. This study investigated the responses of various benthic diatom taxa and effects at the community level over 12 days of atrazine exposure. Diatom communities were collected from two sites with differing exposure histories; a relatively unpolluted site (Alligator Creek) and an agricultural stream (Barratta Creek) known to be polluted by atrazine and other herbicides. Diatom community composition and the proportion of healthy cells per taxon were assessed at 0, 2, 3, 6, 9 and 12 days of atrazine exposure. Pollution history altered the response of the diatom community to atrazine exposure. In the Alligator Creek diatom community there was a shift in composition towards more tolerant taxa and the loss of sensitive taxa in atrazine exposed treatments. The sensitive taxon (Gomphonema truncatum) was consistently affected by atrazine toxicity. Conversely, the polluted Barratta Creek diatom community was not strongly affected by atrazine exposure. Our study shows that during chronic atrazine exposure some taxa demonstrated the ability to recover despite initial toxicity response. Recovery could be an important trait for understanding the ecological effect of herbicide exposure on diatom species in nature and in applied circumstances such as biomonitoring indices.
KW - Atrazine
KW - Benthic diatoms
KW - Herbicide
KW - Recovery
KW - Toxicity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85021065833&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.mendeley.com/research/chronic-effects-atrazine-exposure-recovery-freshwater-benthic-diatoms-two-communities-different-poll
U2 - 10.1016/j.aquatox.2017.06.013
DO - 10.1016/j.aquatox.2017.06.013
M3 - Article
VL - 189
SP - 200
EP - 208
JO - Acquayic Toxicology
JF - Acquayic Toxicology
SN - 0166-445X
ER -