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sThere’s increasing evidence that submerged aquatic plants can dramatically reduce concentrations of polluting insecticides in freshwater systems and thus mitigate the impacts of these chemicals on aquatic animals. They are thought to do this in at least two ways. The best known method is by binding hydrophobic pesticides onto and into plant tissues, and a […]
January 14, 2019
Although pond habitats have been relatively neglected by conservationists, several studies have shown that ponds can contribute more to regional biodiversity than running waters. Because they are isolated, small in size and often poorly protected by conservation programmes, pond ecosystems are highly vulnerable to environmental threats such as those presented by urbanisation. To help provide […]
January 14, 2019
Microplastics (plastic particles less than 5 mm in size) derived from clothes fibres, cosmetics and the breakdown of larger plastic objects, are known to have harmful effects on organisms that ingest them in freshwater and marine environments. However, information on the transport of microplastics, especially nanoparticles (1 nm = 1x 10-6 mm) is scanty. Dutch […]
October 8, 2018
Comments Off on A clearer picture of suspended sediment
Because many pollutants adsorb onto the surfaces of fine sediment particles, sediment transport plays a central role in distributing contaminants throughout river systems. However, current models of sediment and pollutant transfer are complex and complicated by the fact that key processes such as adsorption, erosion and deposition aren’t easily observed. Belgian scientists have responded to […]
July 5, 2018
Comments Off on Worms, midges and the greenhouse effect
Severely impacted aquatic environments such as urban wetlands and wastewater treatment ponds are designed to treat large amounts of carbon and nitrogen, which raises concerns about their potential greenhouse gas emissions. Because pollution-tolerant worms (oligochaetes) and insects (midges) can reach very high densities in such systems, it’s possible that their activities influence the flux of […]
July 5, 2018
There are concerns that human impacts on freshwater systems – particularly temperature increases linked to climate change and nutrient enrichment caused by run-off and pollution – are encouraging the spread of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) capable of generating toxic blooms that threaten human and animal health. One such case is the recent spread of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, […]
September 25, 2017
Comments Off on Ironing out harmful algal blooms
An understanding of how iron affects the supply of nutrients in aquatic systems may open the door to better success in managing harmful algal blooms. In highly productive lakes, the release of phosphorus stored in the bottom sediment can encourage bloom development, but nutrient release is retarded in the presence of iron, which precipitates phosphorus […]
January 14, 2019
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