Toxicity of naphthenic acids to invertebrates: Extracts from oil sands process-affected water versus commercial mixtures.

The toxicity of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) has been primarily attributed to polar organic constituents, including naphthenic acid fraction components (NAFCs). Our objective was to assess the toxicity of NAFCs derived from fresh and aged OSPW, as well as commercial naphthenic acid (NA) mixtures. Exposures were conducted with three aquatic species: Hyalella azteca (freshwater amphipod), Vibrio fischeri (marine bacterium, Microtox assay), and Lampsilis cardium (freshwater mussel larvae (glochidia)).

Municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent-induced effects on freshwater mussel populations and the role of mussel refugia in recolonizing an extirpated reach.

Global human population and urbanization continually increase the volume of wastewater entering aquatic environments. Despite efforts to treat these effluents, they contribute a diverse suite of substances that enter watersheds at concentrations that have the potential to elicit adverse effects on aquatic organisms. The relationship between wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent exposure and biological responses within aquatic ecosystems remains poorly understood, especially at the population level.

Freshwater mussels in an urban watershed: Impacts of anthropogenic inputs and habitat alterations on populations.

The substantial increase in urbanization worldwide has resulted in higher emissions of wastewater to riverine systems near urban centers, which often impairs aquatic populations and communities. This study examined the effect of urbanization on freshwater mussel populations, including Species at Risk in two rivers receiving wastewater. The influence of anthropogenic activities was assessed in a watershed in the Laurentian Great Lakes basin, one that historically supported one of the most diverse mussel faunas in Canada.

Assessing potential toxicity of chloride-affected groundwater discharging to an urban stream using juvenile freshwater mussels (Lampsilis siliquoidea).

Groundwater contaminants, such as chloride from road salt, pose a threat to aquatic ecosystems when and where they discharge to surface waters. Here we study the application of a laboratory toxicity bioassay to field-collected samples from contaminated groundwater discharging to an urban stream. The objectives were to assess the potential toxicity of the discharging groundwater, while also exploring the suitability of such standard tests to site groundwater.

Toxicity and bioconcentration of the pharmaceuticals moxifloxacin, rosuvastatin, and drospirenone to the unionid mussel Lampsilis siliquoidea.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and their metabolites are continually released from wastewater treatment plants into the aquatic environment; however, their impact on aquatic biota is poorly understood. This study examined the toxicity and bioconcentration of three pharmaceuticals: moxifloxacin, rosuvastatin, and drospirenone to the unionid mussel Lampsilis siliquoidea. Effects of moxifloxacin and rosuvastatin were assessed through aqueous 21-d static-renewal tests using 2-year-old mussels, at 0.

The impact of municipal wastewater effluent on field-deployed freshwater mussels in the Grand River (Ontario, Canada).

To examine effects of municipal wastewater effluent (MWWE) on sentinel organisms, the authors deployed caged freshwater mussels (Lasmigona costata) in the Grand River (ON, Canada) upstream and downstream of an MWWE outfall. Passive sampling devices were deployed alongside caged mussels to confirm exposure. Biomarkers of xenobiotic biotransformation, oxidative stress, estrogenicity, and immunomodulation were investigated.