engleski

Chronic toxicity of the Sava River (SE Europe) sediments and river water to the algae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata

The Sava River, the largest and most commercially valuable water body in the riparian countries, receives inputs of organic and inorganic compounds from a variety of domestic and industrial activities that may affect the health of humans and wildlife. In the present work, the chronic toxicity of sediment, sediment porewater and surface water from the Sava River and connecting tributaries to the freshwater algae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata were assessed to characterise the potential impact on aquatic organisms. Samples of different environmental matrices were either tested directly (porewater) or subjected to preconcentration sediments and surface water) prior to testing in a 72 h growth inhibition assay using P. subcapitata. The results show that a combination of pre-concentration and bioassay testing were able to characterise the toxic potential and to identify several compartment-specific "hot spots" along the Sava River. Based on the resulting data, environmental risk could only be identified for the presumed water soluble fraction of surface water at some locations, although lack of proper risk assessment tools for porewater and sediment limited the ability to conduct a similar risk assessment for the sediment compartment.

Growth inhibition; sediment; porewater; surface water; water soluble fraction;

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