Heavy metals in water, sediments and invertebrates from a metal-contaminated river free of organic pollution. I. G. Burrows & B. A. Whitton*. Department of ...
Heavy metals in water, sediments and invertebrates from a metal-contaminated river free of organic pollution I. G. Burrows & B. A. Whitton* Department of Botany, University of Durham, South Road, Durham DHI 3LE, England
Keywords: zinc, cadmium, lead, river, macroinvertebrate, accumulation
Abstract A study was made of water, sediments and invertebrates in the R. Derwent, North-East England, at one site above and three sites below a stream bringing in high concentrations of Zn, Cd and Pb derived from an active fluorspar mine. The mean concentrations of these metals in filtrable water at the unpolluted site were 0.020, 2 mg 1- had reduced numbers of taxa and individuals
264 compared with those with lower zinc levels. Another measure of the influence of heavy metals on invertebrates in metal polluted streams is the concentration of metal in the animals. This does not necessarily give any indication of the effect that the metal has on the success of a particular animal or population, but it is easily quantifiable and readily allows comparisons between populations at different sites or at the same site at different times. Most such studies on invertebrates collected from rivers have concerned slow-flowing waters, often subject to a variety of pollutants in addition to heavy metals. Mathis & Cummings (1973), Namminga & Wilhm (1977), Eyres & Pugh-Thomas (1978) and Say & Giani (1981) have all found that metal concentrations in polluted waters are exceeded by concentrations in both invertebrates and the adjacent sediments, but that the exact relationship between these components differs according to metal and animal considered. For example, the enrichment ratios of metals in chironomids (as compared with water) may be higher than those for adjacent sediments (copper, zinc, lead) or lower (chromium) (Namminga & Wilhm, 1977). Mathis & Cummings (1973) found that zinc was present at higher concentrations in clams than in bottom-dwelling tubificids, but that the opposite was true for chromium, cobalt, nickel, copper, cadmium and lead. In a river receiving organic pollution, tissue concentrations of copper and zinc in the leech Erpobdellaoctoculata and the isopod crustacean Asellus aquaticuswere
found to decrease with increasing sediment concentrations while lead increased (Eyres & Pugh-Thomas, 1978). On the other hand Brown (1977a), who studied a fast-flowing river polluted by effluent from abandoned basemetal mines, report significant positive correlations between concentrations of copper and zinc (but not lead) in 'free-living' Trichoptera and those in water. The purpose of the present study was to investigate in more detail the heavy metal composition of benthic macroinvertebrates in another fast-flowing river polluted by mine effluent but not subject to organic pollution. Can metal concentrations in different taxa be related to those in other components of the ecosystem and are concentrations in various taxa markedly different?
Study area The present study was carried out on the R. Derwent in North-East England (Fig. 1). An account of the river and the source of heavy metal contamination has been given by Harding & Whitton (1978), so only a summary is presented here. The R. Derwent is formed by the confluence of Nookton Burn and Beldon Burn 5 km S-W. of the Derwent Reservoir and drains moorland on the edge of the Northern Pennine Orefield. The river is contaminated by heavy metals from its largest tributary upstream of the reservoir, Bolts Burn, which
Fig. 1. Catchment of the R. Derwent, showing sampling sites on Bolts Burn and the main river.
265 Table 1. Sampling sites on R. Derwent and Bolts Burn. Stream Name
Number
R. Derwent R. Derwent R. Derwent R. Derwent Bolts Burn
0061 0061 0061 0061 0071
Reach
Grid reference
Location
03 08 23 27 99
NY NY NY NY NY
Above Bolts Burn Below Bolts Burn Near Derwent Reservoir At Derwent Reservoir Immediately above entry to river
drains an area once the site of considerable lead mining activity. Approximately 3.5 km from its confluence with the R. Derwent, Bolts Burn flows through a fluorspar mine complex, where effluent from a treatment plant and mine drainage water were intermittently discharged to the stream.
Methods Four sampling reaches (Table I1)were established on the R. Derwent, one above the three below Bolts Burn, and one on Bolts Burn just above its confluence with the river. These were coded in accordance with the computer orientated recording system in use at Durham University. (Reaches 03, 08 and 23 on the R. Derwent and reach 99 on Bolts Burn were 'riffle' areas with fast current speeds, whereas reach 27 was part of a stretch with slower current speeds. The sampling programme took the form of four periods of intensive survey carried out between October 1978-79. The first three surveys were during autumn (25-30 October), spring (26 April-3 May) and summer (8-14 August) respectively followed by a fourth survey in autumn (22-30 October), one year after the first. During each survey collections were made of the following: water for anion analyses; sediments, benthic macroinvertebrates and total and filtrable water for metal analyses. In addition, field measurements were made of conductivity, pH and total alkalinity. The methods used for collection and analysis of water and sediments were those described by Harding & Whitton (1978). Invertebrate samples were taken from a reach once during each survey by kick sampling into a hand net of mesh size 1.0 mm. Collections made in this way were supplemented by picking animals from stones and bryophytes. The invertebrates were placed with stream water in a
954496 959499 983513 984516 957498
white enamel tray from which different taxa were separated into glass petri dishes, also with stream water. When sufficient material had been collected, whole, live individuals of a similar size and sharing the same macroscopic morphological features were rinsed in double distilled water, blotted with filter paper and placed in a vial. Samples were transported to the laboratory in an ice box and dried at 105 ° C for 72 h. Dry samples were weighed and then digested by boiling with 5 ml of concentrated HNO 3 for I h, cooled and made up to a final volume of 25 ml with double distilled water. The resulting solutions were analyzed for Zn, Cd and Pb using a Perkin-Elmer 403 atomic absorption spectrophotometer. All glassware used in the collection, digestion and analysis of invertebrate samples was washed in 4% HNO 3. The range of dry weights of individuals of those taxa sampled most frequently are shown in Table 2; full details of the number of animals per sample and dates of sampling are given by Burrows (1981). Representatives of all macroinvertebrates found were preserved and later identified by referring to the following standard keys: Boon (1978), Brindle (1960, 1967), Bryce& Hobart(1972), Davies(1968), Table 2. Range of average dry weights per sample for individuals of those taxa sampled most frequently. Taxon
Ecdyonurus venosus Brachyptera risi Leuctra spp. Perlodes microcephala Perla bipunctata Limninius volkmari (adults) Rhyacophila dorsalis Dicranotasp(p).
Dry weight (mg) Min
Max
0.50 0.68 0.44 2.58 9.66 0.71 3.82 0.24
8.18 2.30 1.27 45.3 56.8 1.14 19.4 1.56
266 Table 3. Water chemistry of R. Derwent. Data summarizes records for first five sampling days of each survey, with the exception of soluble reactive phosphate which is based on four replicate samples collected on the first day of each survey. (Elements as mg -1). Survey
Reach
pH
Total alkalinity (meq I I)
Ca
min
max
x
min
max
x
min
max
05 08 23 27
6.8 6.8 6.7 6.5
7.7 7.8 8.0 7.9
0.76 1.08 1.06 1.00
0.54 0.82 0.92 0.88
0.92 1.28 1.20 1.12
14.2 20.1 18.5 18.8
12.2 16.2 15.9 16.5
16.4 23.6 21.6 21.4
11
03 08 23
6.4 6.2 6.8
7.2 7.2 7.3
0.28 0.44 0.46
0.18 0.38 0.32
0.42 0.50 0.64
7.5 11.5 11.9
6.2 8.9 9.4
9.3 15.2 14.9
111
03 08 23
7.4 7.5 8.0
7.7 8.0 8.3
1.32 2.00 1.80
1.08 1.80 1.50
1.58 2.32 2.16
18.7 29.4 28.3
15.9 26.2 23.9
20.1 31.8 30.9
IV
03 08 23
6.5 6.4 6.4
7.2 7.4 7.5
0.64 1.06 1.00
0.10 0.16 0.14
0.84 1.50 1.28
13.8 20.8 19.8
6.0 8.2 7.4
16.1 25.2 24.0
1
Elliott (1977), Elliot et al. (1979), Hickin (1967), Hildrew & Morgan (1974), Hiley (1976), Holland (1972), Hynes (1977), Macan (1959, 1979), Mackereth (1954).
Results and discussion The entry of Bolts Burn, the stream which re-
ceived effluent from the mine, leads to obvious increases in zinc, cadmium and lead in both water (Table 3) and sediments (Table4 of R. Derwent). In spite of the elevated levels of metals below the entry of this stream, no species of animal recorded above its entry was entirely absent below. Gammaruspulex has, however, been recorded occasionally at the upstream site by the Northumbrian Water Authority, but not at the polluted sites downstream (P. A.
Table 4. Concentrations of Ca, Zn, Cd and Pb (g g ) in replicate sediment samples ( n = 5) from R. Derwent. Survey
Reach
Ca
Zn x
Cd
Pb
SD
x
SD
x
SD
x
SD
1
03 08 23 27
2100 9870 16100 17700
361 1050 2560 1520
122 1740 2720 1230
17 890 548 221
3.8 8.7 13.8 9.2
2.0 4.0 2.3 2.2
110 2620 2230 2240
10 740 616 695
11
03 08 23
1110 9980 11900
154 2340 1080
82 550 486
14 223 137
0.6 3.1 3.5
0.3 2.0 1.3
120 1740 1800
23 524 294
111
03 08 23
1210 6850 6710
170 995 402
244 1540 2240
57 335 969
1.1 7.2 12.4
0.2 1.8 2.9
96 1600 1810
20 404 236
IV
03 08 23
760 6810 6050
238 1590 1595
170 2760 1790
43 935 576
0.8 11.4 7.5
0.3 4.1 2.1
104 3120 1690
20 704 400
267
Table 3. Zn
Cd
Pb
Filtrable reactive PO4 -P
x
min
max
0.029 0.28 0.217 0.213
0.023 0.188 0.200 0.208
0.040 0.36 0.25 0.223
0.0004 0.0007 0.0007 0.0006
0.0003 0.0005 0.0005 0.0005
0.0006 0.0008 0.0008 0.0007
0.011 0.021 0.019 0.018
0.006 0.015 0.012 0.012
0.016 0.156 0.150
0.013 0.126 0.132
0.021 0.203 0.194
Pb > Cd) was the same as that observed for water. Further, the elevated concentrations of zinc, cadmium and lead found in water and sediments from the R. Derwent below Bolts Burn were, in general, paralleled by higher concentrations in macroinvertebrates. A more detailed comparison reveals that the exact relationships differ according to the taxon, metal and environmental component examined (Table 9). This is not surprising as metal concentrations in an animal may be affected not only by environmental conditions (Carter & Nicholas, 1978; Dodge & Theis, 1976; Nehring, 1976), but also biological features of the organism such as its stage of development (Getsova & Valkova, 1962; Wright, 1980) and the contribution of its gut contents (Dean, 1974; Elwood et al., 1976). Nevertheless, the concentrations of one or more metals in Ecdyonurus venosus, Brachyptera risi, Leuctra spp., Perla bipunctata, Limnius yolkmarl (adults), Rhyacophila dorsalisand Dicranota
sp(p). showed significant positive correlations with those in water, sediments or both. This last case may be explained by covariation between concentrations of zinc, cadmium and lead in water and sediment (Table 9); the data do not, however, indicate either component as a source of metals. The present study has shown examples of macroinvertebrates which may be useful for monitoring heavy metal pollution in rivers, but their full value will only become apparent when the importance of water and sediments has been assessed.
Acknowledgments We are most grateful to the Northumbrian Water Authority and the Sunderland and South Shields Water Company for financial support and also to those members of their staff who have aided and shown an interest in the project. These include B. D. Ravenscroft, J. W. Hargreaves and P. A. Russell from the Authority and J. F. Wallwork, R. W. Hunter and D. W. Forster from the Company. J. P. C. Harding provided useful information from his study of the Derwent river and reservoir during 1974-77. J. F. Wright (Freshwater Biological Association) identified beetles from the family Dytiscidae. Various forms of help in the field have been given by M. G. Burrows and M. W. Marsden. Aid with atomic absorption spectroscopy was given by Mrs S. E. Robson and R. Coult and with typing by Mrs H. Winn.
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Received 14 July 1982; accepted 18 November 1982.
