Metals pollution effect

Highlights the worst scenario in terms of metal pollution effects on fluvial biofilms... 

Brown, D.A., C.A. Bawden, K.W. Chatel, and T.R. Parsons. 1977. The wildlife community of Iona Island jetty, Vancouver, B.C., and heavy-metal pollution effects. Environ. Conserv. 4 213-216. 

Freedman, B. Hutchinson, T.C. In Effect of Heavy Metal Pollution on Plants Volume 2 Metals in the Environment Lepp, N.W. Ed. Applied Science Publishers Englewood, NJ, 1981 pp 35-94. 

C. Leyval, K. Turnau, and K. Haselwandter, Effect of heavy metal pollution on mycorrhizal colonization and function physiological, ecological and applied aspects. Mycorrhiza 7 139 (1997). 

Williamson A., Johnson M.S. Reclamation of metalliferous mine wastes. In Effect of Heavy Metal Pollution on Plants. Vol. 2 Metals in Environment, N.W. Lepp, ed. London, UK Applied Science Publishers, 1981. 

This area was the most profusely studied in the AQUATERRA project in terms of biological effects in fish populations. Barbel and bleak were the sentinel species selected in this area and an array of histological and biochemical tests were used to monitor the impact due to three major sources of pollution mercury and OCs at Monzon (with a comparison in one of the papers with Flix) and PBDEs in Barbastro [1—4, 37]. Mercury pollution was directly correlated to an increase of MTprotein in the liver of barbel captured downstream Monzon when compared to samples captured upstream (Fig. 3a). However, mRNA quantitative analyses failed to show any differences between downstream and upstream Monzon, neither correlated with MT protein levels. Further studies showed that MT mRNA in liver is a rather weak marker for chronic metal pollution in liver (see below) [4], The presence of degenerative hepatocytes in barbels and bleaks was also linked to mercury poisoning although it can also reflect the impact by other pollutants, like OCs or PBDEs (Fig. 3e). 

Lande, E. 1977. Heavy metal pollution in Trondheimsfjorden, Norway, and the recorded effects on the fauna and flora. Environ. Pollut. 12 187-198. 

Handy, R.D. 1992. The assessment of episodic metal pollution. II. The effects of cadmium and copper enriched diets on tissue contaminant analysis in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 22 82-87. 

Swaileh, K.M. and D. Adelung. 1994. Levels of trace metals and effect of body size on metal content and concentration in Arctica islandica L. (Mollusca Bivalvia) from Kiel Bay, western Baltic. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 28 500-505. 

Eeva, T., Sorvari, J. and Koivunen, V., Effects of heavy metal pollution on red wood ants, Environ. Pollut., 132, 533, 2004. 

Page AL, Bingham FT, Chang AC. 1981. Cadmium. In Lepp NW, ed. Effect of Heavy Metal Pollution on Plants. Vol. 1. London Applied Science, 77-109. 

Ruhling, A., and G. Tyler. Effects of Heavy Metal Pollution on the Decomposition of Spruce Needle Litter. Department of Plant Ecology, University of Lund, Sweden, 1972. 48 pp. 

For removing low levels of priority metal pollutants from wastewater, using ferric chloride has been shown to be an effective and economical method [41]. The ferric salt forms iron oxyhydroxide, an amorphous precipitate in the wastewater. Pollutants are adsorbed onto and trapped within this precipitate, which is then settled out, leaving a clear effluent. The equipment is identical to that for metal hydroxide precipitation. Trace elements such as arsenic, selenium, chromium, cadmium, and lead can be removed by this method at varying pH values. Alternative methods of metals removal include ion exchange, oxidation or reduction, reverse osmosis, and activated carbon. 

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