Freshwater Diatoms as Indicators of Combined Long-Term Mining and Urban Stressors in Junction Creek (Ontario, Canada).

Lavoie, Isabelle ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2918-6297, Morin, Soizic, Laderriere, Vincent et Fortin, Claude ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2479-1869 (2018). Freshwater Diatoms as Indicators of Combined Long-Term Mining and Urban Stressors in Junction Creek (Ontario, Canada). Environments , vol. 5 , nº 2. p. 30. DOI: 10.3390/environments5020030.

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Résumé

Sudbury (Ontario, Canada) has a long mining history that has left the region with a distinctive legacy of environmental impacts. Several actions have been undertaken since the 1970s to rehabilitate this deteriorated environment, in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Despite a marked increase in environmental health, we show that the Junction Creek system remains under multiple stressors from present and past mining operations, and from urban-related pressures such as municipal wastewater treatment plants, golf courses and stormwater runoff. Water samples have elevated metal concentrations, with values reaching up to 1 mg.L ⁻¹ Ni, 40 μg.L ⁻¹ Zn, and 0.5 μg.L ⁻¹ Cd. The responses of diatoms to stressors were observed at the assemblage level (metal tolerant species, nutrient-loving species), and at the individual level through the presence of teratologies (abnormal diatom frustules). The cumulative criterion unit (CCU) approach was used as a proxy for metal toxicity to aquatic life and suggested elevated potential for toxicity at certain sites. Diatom teratologies were significantly less frequent at sites with CCU values <1, suggesting “background” metal concentrations as compared to sites with higher CCU values. The highest percentages of teratologies were observed at sites presenting multiple types of environmental pressures.

Type de document:	Article
Mots-clés libres:	biomonitoring; cumulative criterion units; diatoms; metals; mines; multi-stress; streams; nutrients; teratologies; urban stressors
Centre:	Centre Eau Terre Environnement
Date de dépôt:	06 avr. 2018 15:49
Dernière modification:	11 févr. 2022 14:12
URI:	https://espace.inrs.ca/id/eprint/6888

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