Suspended solids in freshwater systems: characterisation model describing potential impacts on aquatic biota

PurposeHigh concentration of suspended solids (SS)—fine fraction of eroded soil particles—reaching lotic environments and remaining in suspension by turbulence can be a significant stressor affecting the biodiversity of these aquatic systems. However, a method to assess the potential effects caused by SS on freshwater species in the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) phase still remains a gap. This study develops a method to derive endpoint characterisation factors, based on a fate and effect model, addressing the direct potential effects of SS in the potential loss of aquatic invertebrate or algae and macrophyte species.MethodsCharacterisation factors for the assessment of the direct effects of SS in the potential disappearance of macroinvertebrates, algae and macrophytes in 22 different European river sections were derived by combining both fate and effect factors. Fate factors reflect the environmental residence time of SS in river sections per unit of water volume in this same section. Effect factors were calculated from an empirical relationship between the potentially disappeared fraction (PDF) of aquatic species and the concentration of SS. These factors were determined based on a concentration-response function, on gross soil erosion data and detrimental concentrations of SS for different taxa in river sections.Results and discussionThe product of fate with effect factors constitutes the characterisation factors for both macroinvertebrates, algae and macrophytes. The estimated EFs are higher for macroinvertebrates in almost all river sections under study, showing that the potential effects caused by SS throughout the water column are higher for macroinvertebrates than for algae and macrophytes. For macroinvertebrates, characterisation factors range between 2.8 × 10− 7 and 3.1 × 10− 3 PDF m3 day mg−1, whereas for algae and macrophytes, they range between 1.6 × 10− 7 and 4.7 × 10− 4 PDF m3 day mg−1.ConclusionsThe developed method and the derived characterisation factors enable a consistent assessment and comparison of the potential detrimental effects of SS on aquatic invertebrate and macrophyte communities at different locations. Long-term, on-site monitoring of SS levels in the water column should be performed to understand the magnitude of the effects of SS on aquatic biota and to determine the taxa that are more sensitive to the SS stressor. This monitoring will improve the robustness of the proposed LCA method, the reliability of the characterisation factors, as well as the development of characterisation factors for a wider range of rivers.

[1]  J. Havel,et al.  Differing effects of suspended sediments on the performance of native and exotic Daphnia. , 2009 .

[2]  M. Huijbregts,et al.  Spatially explicit fate factors of phosphorous emissions to freshwater at the global scale , 2012, The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment.

[3]  M. Huijbregts,et al.  USES-LCA 2.0—a global nested multi-media fate, exposure, and effects model , 2009 .

[4]  Spatial Analysis of Soil Erosion and Sediment Fluxes: A Paired Watershed Study of Two Rappahannock River Tributaries, Stafford County, Virginia , 2008, Environmental management.

[5]  A. Christopoulos,et al.  Fitting Models to Biological Data Using Linear and Nonlinear Regression: A Practical Guide to Curve Fitting , 2004 .

[6]  J. Alabaster.  1 – FINELY DIVIDED SOLIDS , 1982 .

[7]  D. Ohandja,et al.  The role of sediments as a source of metals in river catchments. , 2012, Chemosphere.

[8]  Tom Leader.  Sediment , 2002, Landscape Journal.

[9]  A. Dennis Lemly,et al.  Effects of Sedimentation and Turbidity on Lotic Food Webs: A Concise Review for Natural Resource Managers , 2000 .

[10]  Dayanthi Nugegoda,et al.  How are macroinvertebrates of slow flowing lotic systems directly affected by suspended and deposited sediments? , 2010, Environmental pollution.

[11]  Leonard J. Lane,et al.  Processes controlling sediment yield from watersheds as functions of spatial scale , 1997 .

[12]  N. Trustrum,et al.  Impacts of land use change on patterns of sediment flux in Weraamaia catchment, New Zealand , 2005 .

[13]  J. Poesen,et al.  Predicting soil erosion and sediment yield at the basin scale: Scale issues and semi-quantitative models , 2005 .

[14]  J. Koenings,et al.  Effects of Turbidity in Fresh Waters of Alaska , 1987 .

[15]  J. García‐Ruiz,et al.  Regional scale modeling of hillslope sediment delivery: A case study in the Barasona Reservoir watershed (Spain) using WATEM/SEDEM , 2010 .

[16]  Matthias M. Boer,et al.  PAN-EUROPEAN SOIL EROSION RISK ASSESSMENT: , 2004 .

[17]  M. Huijbregts,et al.  Characterization factors for inland water eutrophication at the damage level in life cycle impact assessment , 2011 .

[18]  Florentina Moatar,et al.  The influence of contrasting suspended particulate matter transport regimes on the bias and precision of flux estimates. , 2006, The Science of the total environment.

[19]  T. Koellner,et al.  UNEP-SETAC guideline on global land use impact assessment on biodiversity and ecosystem services in LCA , 2013, The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment.

[20]  J. Adams,et al.  Eutrophication , 2019, Encyclopedia of Ecology.

[21]  B. Statzner,et al.  Perspectives for biomonitoring at large spatial scales: a unified measure for the functional composition of invertebrate communities in European running waters , 2001 .

[22]  Michael Zwicky Hauschild,et al.  Evaluation of Ecotoxicity Effect Indicators for Use in LCIA (10+4 pp) , 2007 .

[23]  Paul L. Angermeier,et al.  A Conceptual Framework for Assessing Impacts of Roads on Aquatic Biota , 2004 .

[24]  C. Burns,et al.  Impact of resuspended sediment on zooplankton feeding in Lake Waihola, New Zealand , 2005 .

[25]  Glenn W. Suter,et al.  General Introduction to Species Sensitivity Distributions , 2001 .

[26]  Panos Panagos,et al.  Monthly soil erosion monitoring based on remotely sensed biophysical parameters: a case study in Strymonas river basin towards a functional pan-European service , 2012, Int. J. Digit. Earth.

[27]  Damià Vericat,et al.  Suspended sediment transport in a highly erodible catchment: the River Isábena (Southern Pyrenees). , 2009 .

[28]  J. Poesen,et al.  A comparison of measured catchment sediment yields with measured and predicted hillslope erosion rates in Europe , 2012, Journal of Soils and Sediments.

[29]  D. D. Macdonald,et al.  Effects of Suspended Sediments on Aquatic Ecosystems , 1991 .

[30]  R. Brazier,et al.  Understanding the influence of suspended solids on water quality and aquatic biota. , 2008, Water research.

[31]  Pamela S. Naden,et al.  THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FINE SEDIMENT AND MACROPHYTES IN RIVERS , 2012 .

[32]  J. S. Alabaster,et al.  Water Quality Criteria for Freshwater Fish , 1982 .

[33]  O. Jolliet,et al.  IMPACT 2002 + : User Guide Draft for version Q 2 . 21 ( version adapted by Quantis ) Prepared by : , 2012 .

[34]  J. Richardson,et al.  Effects of sediment on fish communities in East Cape streams, North Island, New Zealand , 2002 .

[35]  M. Chadwick.  Stream Ecology: Structure and Function of Running Waters , 2008 .

[36]  J. Jones,et al.  Sediment targets for informing river catchment management: international experience and prospects , 2011 .

[37]  M. Huijbregts,et al.  Priority assessment of toxic substances in life cycle assessment. Part I: calculation of toxicity potentials for 181 substances with the nested multi-media fate, exposure and effects model USES-LCA. , 2000, Chemosphere.

[38]  E. V. Nieuwenhuyse,et al.  EFFECTS OF PLACER GOLD MINING ON PRIMARY PRODUCTION IN SUBARCTIC STREAMS OF ALASKA , 1986 .

[39]  J. Quinn,et al.  Effects of clay discharges on streams , 1992, Hydrobiologia.

[40]  L. Arroja,et al.  A framework for modelling the transport and deposition of eroded particles towards water systems in a life cycle inventory , 2014, The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment.

[41]  G. R. Foster,et al.  Predicting soil erosion by water : a guide to conservation planning with the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) , 1997 .

[42]  Panos Panagos,et al.  Seasonal monitoring of soil erosion at regional scale: An application of the G2 model in Crete focusing on agricultural land uses , 2014, Int. J. Appl. Earth Obs. Geoinformation.

[43]  Russell Steele,et al.  A physically based statistical model of sand abrasion effects on periphyton biomass , 2010 .

[44]  M. Huijbregts,et al.  Characterization factors for water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions based on freshwater fish species extinction. , 2011, Environmental science & technology.

[45]  J. J. Gilbert,et al.  Suspended Clay and the Population Dynamics of Planktonic Rotifers and Cladocerans , 1990 .

[46]  Sylvain Dolédec,et al.  Species traits for future biomonitoring across ecoregions: patterns along a human-impacted river , 1999 .

[47]  P. Owens,et al.  Sediments in urban river basins: a review of sediment–contaminant dynamics in an environmental system conditioned by human activities , 2009 .

[48]  J. Gulliver,et al.  Effect of inorganic sediment on whole-stream productivity , 2002, Hydrobiologia.

[49]  Hervas De Diego Francisco,et al.  The State of Soil in Europe : A contribution of the JRC to the European Environment Agency’s Environment State and Outlook Report— SOER 2010 , 2012 .

[50]  Stephan Pfister,et al.  Characterization factors for thermal pollution in freshwater aquatic environments. , 2010, Environmental science & technology.