Journal
HYDROBIOLOGIA
Volume 673, Issue 1, Pages 119-136Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s10750-011-0763-8
Keywords
Fluvial biofilm; Metals; Pulse-amplitude-modulated (PAM) fluorometry; Bioaccumulation; Indoor channels
Categories
Funding
- Spanish Ministry [CGL2006-12785, CTM2009-14111-C02-01]
- EC [MRTN-CT-2006-035695]
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A study was carried out to evaluate the sensitivity of different chlorophyll-a (chl-a) fluorescence parameters measured in freshwater biofilms as metal pollution biomarkers of short-and long-term metal exposures at environmentally realistic concentrations. A microcosm experiment was performed using indoor channels. Mature biofilms were exposed from hours to weeks to three different treatments: No-Metal, Zn (400 mu g l(-1)); and Zn plus Cd (400 mu g l(-1) and 20 mu g l(-1), respectively). Metal concentration was based on a real case study: the Riou-Mort River (France). Biofilms exposed to Zn bioaccumulated similar Zn contents per dry weight to those exposed to the mixture (Zn plus Cd) causing a similar inhibition of the effective quantum yield (Phi(M)') during the first hours of exposure. A reduction of the algal biomass, a shift in the community composition (a high reduction of diatoms), a reduction of the maximal quantum yield (Phi(M)) and a strong reduction of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) were observed from day 14 until the end of the experiment (35 days). The results indicate that the effects of the metal mixture present in the Riou-Mort on biofilms could be attributed to Zn toxicity. The use of a set of chl-a fluorescence measurements, including photochemical and NPQ parameters, are recommended as a reliable biomarker tool box to evaluate both short-and long-term effects of metals on biofilms containing oxygenic photoautotrophs, suggesting its use in field applications.
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