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Characterization of Aquatic Biofilms with Flow Cytometry
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Tolerance Patterns in Stream Biofilms Link Complex Chemical Pollution to Ecological Impacts
Ahmed Tlili1, Natàlia Corcoll2, Åsa Arrhenius2
1Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
Environmental Science & Technology
|July 25, 2020
Summary
Wastewater treatment upgrades reduced micropollutants, leading to decreased biofilm tolerance and community recovery. This suggests using biofilm tolerance to assess environmental risks and recovery from chemical pollution.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Ecotoxicology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Chemical pollution of freshwater is a major challenge.
- Assessing ecological impacts of chemical stressors is complex, especially with co-occurring nonchemical stressors.
- Stream biofilms are crucial indicators of water quality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comparatively assess stream biofilm community structure, functions, and tolerance to micropollutant mixtures.
- To evaluate the impact of wastewater treatment plant upgrades on micropollutant levels and biofilm characteristics.
- To determine the suitability of community tolerance for retrospective risk assessment.
Main Methods:
- Passive samplers deployed upstream and downstream of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) collected micropollutant mixtures.
- Biofilms from upgraded and nonupgraded WWTP sites were analyzed for community structure, function, and tolerance.
- Micropollutant concentrations in water and biofilms were quantified.
Main Results:
- An upgraded WWTP with activated carbon filtration reduced micropollutant concentrations by 85%.
- Reduced micropollutant levels correlated with decreased biofilm tolerance and restored community structure downstream.
- Biofilms at nonupgraded sites showed higher tolerance linked to increased micropollutant levels.
Conclusions:
- Wastewater treatment upgrades can effectively reduce micropollutant loads and facilitate biofilm recovery.
- Stream biofilm community tolerance is a suitable metric for retrospective risk assessment of micropollutants.
- Community tolerance can help link environmental effects to their causes in complex pollution scenarios.
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