Ecology

Study Data from I. Lavoie et al Provide New Insights into Environmental Research

  2012 JUN 29 (VerticalNews) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Ecology, Environment & Conservation -- Current study results on Environmental Research have been published. According to news originating from Quebec City, Canada, by VerticalNews correspondents, researchers stated "Various biomonitoring approaches were tested in the field to assess the response of natural periphythic algal communities to chronic metal contamination downstream from an abandoned mine tailings site. The accumulation of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) as well as the production of phytochelatins, the presence of diatom taxa known to tolerate high metal concentrations, diatom diversity and the presence of teratologies were determined."

  Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research by the authors, "We observed highly significant relationships between intracellular metal and calculated free metal ion concentrations. Such relationships are often observed in laboratory studies but have been rarely validated in field studies. These results suggest that the concentration of metal inside the field-collected periphyton, regardless of its species composition, is a good indicator of exposure and is an interesting proxy for bioavailable metal concentrations in natural waters. The presence of teratologies and metal-tolerant taxa at our contaminated sites provided a clear indication that diatom communities were responding to this metal stress."

  According to the news editors, the researchers concluded: "A multi-metric approach integrating various bioassessment methods could be used for the field monitoring of metal contamination and the quantification of its effects."

  For more information on this research see: A mine of information: Benthic algal communities as biomonitors of metal contamination from abandoned tailings. Science of the Total Environment, 2012;425():231-241. Science of the Total Environment can be contacted at: Elsevier Science Bv, PO Box 211, 1000 Ae Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Science of the Total Environment - www.elsevier.com/wps/product/cws_home/503360)

  The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from I. Lavoie, Center Eau Terre Environm INRS ETE, Inst Natl Rech Sci, Quebec City, PQ G1K 9A9, Canada.

  Keywords for this news article include: Canada, Quebec City, Environmental Research, North and Central America

  Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world. Copyright 2012, NewsRx LLC