Xenobiotics are of human and environmental concerns due to their potential toxicity. Octylphenol is one of the very common and daily used xenobiotics in door and out door activities of human beings. Toxicity of octylphenol to aquatic organisms, especially to zooplankton (e.g. Daphnia magna) was investigated but not fully understood. In this study we evaluated the chronic effects of octylphenol at the concentrations of 5, 50 and 500 μg L-1 on Daphnia magna over a period of 14 days. The results showed that low concentration of octylphenol (5 μg L-1) stimulated the maturation while high concentrations of the chemical (50 and 500 μg L-1) caused a significant mortality to the Daphnia. Besides, all the tested concentrations of octylphenol had serious impacts on fecundity and growth of the animals. Investigations on the presence, distribution, fate and toxicity of xonobiotics including octylphenol in the developing country environment are suggested for human, environmental and ecological health protection. / Những hợp chất tổng hợp đang là mối quan ngại cho con người và môi trường vì khả năng gây độc của chúng. Octylphenol là một trong những hợp chất tổng hợp được sử dụng phổ biến và thường xuyên trong những hoạt động của con người trong nhà và ngoài trời. Độc tính của octylphenol đối với thủy sinh vật, đặc biệt đối với động vật phù du (vd. Daphnia magna) mặc dù đã được nghiên cứu nhưng vẫn chưa được hiểu biết đầy đủ. Trong nghiên cứu này, chúng tôi đánh giá ảnh hưởng mãn tính của octylphenol ở các nồng độ 5, 50 và 500 μg/lít lên Daphnia magna trong thời gian 14 ngày. Kết quả cho thấy ở nồng độ octylphenol thấp (5 μg/lít) kích thích sự thành thục của sinh vật trong khi ở nồng độ cao hơn (50 và 500 μg/lít) gây chết đáng kể Daphnia. Bên cạnh đó, tất cả các nồng độ ocytlphenol dùng trong thí nghiệm gây ảnh hưởng nghiêm trọng lên sức sinh sản và sinh trưởng của sinh vật. Nghiên cứu về sự hiện diện, phân bố, phát tán và độc tính của những chất tổng hợp bao gồm octylphenol ở các nước đang phát triển nên được tiến hành vì mục tiêu bảo vệ sức khỏe con người, môi trường và hệ sinh thái.

<p>Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in natural waters is a heterogeneous mixture of organic molecules with direct and indirect influences on aquatic organisms. Although the influences are usually attributed to DOM quantity (quantified as Dissolved Organic Carbon, DOC), the role of quality (optical and binding characteristics obtained by absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy and potentiometric titration, respectively) is not well-understood. Through an initial critical review of the literature, followed by experimental geochemical, toxicological, and physiological investigations, a number of conclusions were reached that improve our knowledge in this area. Freshwater DOM sources exhibit source-dependent protection against metal toxicity, in particular copper (Cu). Generally, for this indirect effect, optically-dark terrestrially-derived or allochthonous DOMs offer better protection than microbially-derived or autochthonous sources. Linear regressions revealed that the better ameliorative effect is principally related to a higher aromatic composition (specific absorption coefficient, SAC₃₄₀) and a greater humic-like fluorescent component as quantified by parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). In addition, the allochthonous DOMs were shown to have relatively higher magnitudes of titration index (TI), a new summary of chemical reactivity of DOM molecules obtained by titration analysis, and closely related to optical properties. TI was strongly correlated with SAC₃₄₀, suggesting greater binding capacities for DOM molecules with higher SAC₃₄₀. Consequently, a method for incorporation of SAC₃₄₀ as a DOM quality measure into the Biotic Ligand Model (BLM) was developed which improved Cu toxicity predictions in experimental tests with natural DOMs. For direct effects, two basic physiological functions (Na⁺ metabolism and nitrogen excretion) of the adult water flea (<em>Daphnia magna</em>, a cladoceran crustacean) and the zebrafish (<em>Danio </em><em>rerio</em>, a teleost fish) were investigated at circumneutral and acidic pH (≥ 7 and ~ 5, respectively). Three previously characterized, chemically-distinct natural DOM sources as well as a commercial humic acid (AHA) were examined. Regardless of the pH conditions, while Na⁺ regulation of <em>D</em>. <em>magna </em>remained unaffected by the presence of all DOMs, the passive diffusive efflux of Na⁺ in zebrafish was attenuated, indicating ameliorative action against unidirectional Na⁺ loss. In addition, only a distinct allochthonous-autochthonous DOM source stimulated the Na⁺ uptake rate of zebrafish at low pH. Ammonia excretion rates of <em>D</em>. <em>magna </em>were reduced at circumneutral pH by the most highly coloured, allochthonous DOM, and at low pH by all three natural DOMs. Both in <em>D. magna </em>and in <em>D. rerio</em>, urea excretion rates at both pH conditions were not influenced by the presence of the various DOMs, and the same was true for ammonia excretion in the zebrafish. A commercially prepared humic acid (Aldrich humic acid, AHA) exerted anomalous actions relative to those of natural DOMs, and does not appear to be representative of their normal effects. In contrast to the actions of DOM in detoxifying metals, these direct effects of DOMs on freshwater organisms appeared highly unpredictable with variable dependencies on the source, pH and species. This thesis has advanced our understanding of the relationships between DOM quality and its indirect and direct effects on aquatic organisms, and points to new directions for future work.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Avaliou-se o emprego de sistema biológico de tratamento em reator anaeróbio de leito estruturado em fluxo ascendente (RAnLE) para remoção do corante Direct Black 22 (DB22) e íons sulfato (65 e 200 mg.L-1, respectivamente), principais constituintes de efluente têxtil de indústrias de jeans da região de Caruaru, PE. Etanol foi utilizado como doador de elétrons na concentração de 1000 mg.DQO.L-1. As médias de remoção de DQO, sulfato e corante foram respectivamente 80,28 &#177; 6,62%, 78,66 &#177; 4,04% e 68 &#177; 5%. Cerca de 3% do sulfeto produzido foi identificado em solução, 10% esteve presente na forma gasosa e aproximadamente 87% precipitou em forma de cristais metálicos inorgânicos ou em enxofre elementar por exposição ao ar atmosférico ou por ação redutora do corante DB22, contribuindo para remoção de cor na transformação do corante em aminas aromáticas. Os ácidos graxos presentes no efluente tratado totalizaram 121 &#177; 34 mg.L-1, com predominância de ácido acético (95 &#177; 17 mg.L-1), sem prejuízo da capacidade tamponante do sistema, que apresentou aumento na alcalinidade pela ocorrência da sulfetogênese e pela característica básica das aminas aromáticas, produzidas por meio da quebra da ligação azo do corante, revelando absorção em diferentes comprimentos de onda na região do ultravioleta, denotando a produção de diferentes estruturas aromáticas. O efluente têxtil simulado foi mais tóxico do que seu correspondente tratado para ambas as situações (crônico e agudo) nos testes de toxicidade com Ceriodaphnia dúbia (crônica) e Daphnia magna (aguda), atestando o potencial dos reatores anaeróbios na destoxificação do corante azo Direct Black 22 para as espécies abordadas. Os testes de citotoxicidade in vitro empregando células McCoy (linhagem contínua de fibroblastos) em exposição ao efluente têxtil sintético tratado no RAnLE apresentaram um comportamento dose-dependente. O efluente diluído 3 vezes inibiu 50% das células. Por outro lado, não foi possível verificar um comportamento dose-dependente considerando as diferentes concentrações de DB22. Entretanto, houve diferença estatística significativa na viabilidade celular para as concentrações de DB22 de 0,016, 0,065, 0,2 e 0,26 mg.mL-1. Os resultados demonstram a necessidade do uso de diferentes testes de toxicidade a vários organismos, de forma a complementar os resultados obtidos pelos testes convencionais. Eletromicrografias da biomassa revelaram a presença de arqueias metanogênicas, demonstrando a capacidade de coexistência de comunidades sulfetogênicas e metanogênicas, dado o valor observado de DQO/sulfato de 5. O sequenciamento metagenômico em apontou grande abundância relativa de bactérias redutoras de sulfato (BRS), superior a 50%. Os bioensaios em batelada com o lodo de fundo e o lodo em suspensão do RAnLE apontaram que a biomassa aderida foi mais apta a suportar a carga tóxica proveniente do corante e das aminas aromáticas. A estrutura do RAnLE permitiu o estabelecimento de biomassa aderida e biomassa suspensa, concorrendo ambas para melhor desempenho do sistema. / The present work assessed the employment of an anaerobic up-flow fixed-structured bed (AUFFSB) reactor, which aimed to remove the main constituents of a simulated textile effluent with azo dye Direct Black 22 (DB22) and sulphate ions (65 and 200 mg.L-1, respectively), main constituents in residual waters generated by denim industry in Caruaru, PE. Ethanol was employed as electron donor (1000 mg.COD.L-1). Medium removals for COD, sulphate and dye concentration were respectively 80.28 &#177; 6.62%, 78.66 &#177; 4.04% and 68 &#177; 5%. Circa 3% of produced sulphide was identified in the effluent, 10% in gaseous state and approximately 87% precipitated either as metallic inorganic crystals, as elemental sulphur due to exposition to atmosphere, or due to the azo bound reduction of DB22, which contributed to colour removal in the generation of aromatic amines from the azo dye. The volatile fatty acids totalized 121 &#177; 34 mg.L-1 while acetic acid was the predominant one (95 &#177; 17 mg.L-1). Nevertheless, such concentrations did not impair the buffering capacity of the system, which had increased alkalinity due to the occurrence of sulphidogenesis and of the alkaline characteristic of the aromatic amines, which were produced from azo bound cleavage, revealing absorption in different wavelengths in the UV zone, inferring that different aromatic structures were formed. As for the toxicity, the simulated textile effluent was more toxic before treatment than after treatment for both bioessays employing Ceriodaphnia dubia and Daphnia magna, (chronic and acute toxicity), attesting the potential of anaerobic reactors to detoxify azo dye DB22. The in vitro cytotoxicity tests using McCoy cells (fibroblasts of a continuous lineage) exposed to simulated textile effluent treated on the anaerobic bioreactor presented a dose-dependent behaviour. The effluent diluted 3 times showed inhibition to 50% of the cells. On the other hand, it was not possible to verify a dose-dependent behaviour considering the different concentrations of DB22. However, there was significant statistical difference on cell viability for DB22 concentrations of 0.016, 0.065, 0.2 and 0.26 mg.mL-1. The results pointed to the need of diverse toxicity tests to various organisms in order to complement the results obtained by conventional used ones. Micrographs revealed the presence of methanogenic archeas, denoting the possibility of coexistence between sulphidogenic and methanogenic communities, considering the observed COD/sulphate ration of 5. Metadata obtained from metagenomic sequencing revealed high relative abundance of sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB), which was superior to 50%. Batch bioessays showed that biomass in supporting material is more capable of enduring the toxic load from DB22 and aromatic amines. The AUFFSB structure enabled that suspended biomass developed along with fixed biomass, thus both collaborated for a better system performance.

Avaliou-se o emprego de sistema biológico de tratamento em reator anaeróbio de leito estruturado em fluxo ascendente (RAnLE) para remoção do corante Direct Black 22 (DB22) e íons sulfato (65 e 200 mg.L-1, respectivamente), principais constituintes de efluente têxtil de indústrias de jeans da região de Caruaru, PE. Etanol foi utilizado como doador de elétrons na concentração de 1000 mg.DQO.L-1. As médias de remoção de DQO, sulfato e corante foram respectivamente 80,28 &#177; 6,62%, 78,66 &#177; 4,04% e 68 &#177; 5%. Cerca de 3% do sulfeto produzido foi identificado em solução, 10% esteve presente na forma gasosa e aproximadamente 87% precipitou em forma de cristais metálicos inorgânicos ou em enxofre elementar por exposição ao ar atmosférico ou por ação redutora do corante DB22, contribuindo para remoção de cor na transformação do corante em aminas aromáticas. Os ácidos graxos presentes no efluente tratado totalizaram 121 &#177; 34 mg.L-1, com predominância de ácido acético (95 &#177; 17 mg.L-1), sem prejuízo da capacidade tamponante do sistema, que apresentou aumento na alcalinidade pela ocorrência da sulfetogênese e pela característica básica das aminas aromáticas, produzidas por meio da quebra da ligação azo do corante, revelando absorção em diferentes comprimentos de onda na região do ultravioleta, denotando a produção de diferentes estruturas aromáticas. O efluente têxtil simulado foi mais tóxico do que seu correspondente tratado para ambas as situações (crônico e agudo) nos testes de toxicidade com Ceriodaphnia dúbia (crônica) e Daphnia magna (aguda), atestando o potencial dos reatores anaeróbios na destoxificação do corante azo Direct Black 22 para as espécies abordadas. Os testes de citotoxicidade in vitro empregando células McCoy (linhagem contínua de fibroblastos) em exposição ao efluente têxtil sintético tratado no RAnLE apresentaram um comportamento dose-dependente. O efluente diluído 3 vezes inibiu 50% das células. Por outro lado, não foi possível verificar um comportamento dose-dependente considerando as diferentes concentrações de DB22. Entretanto, houve diferença estatística significativa na viabilidade celular para as concentrações de DB22 de 0,016, 0,065, 0,2 e 0,26 mg.mL-1. Os resultados demonstram a necessidade do uso de diferentes testes de toxicidade a vários organismos, de forma a complementar os resultados obtidos pelos testes convencionais. Eletromicrografias da biomassa revelaram a presença de arqueias metanogênicas, demonstrando a capacidade de coexistência de comunidades sulfetogênicas e metanogênicas, dado o valor observado de DQO/sulfato de 5. O sequenciamento metagenômico em apontou grande abundância relativa de bactérias redutoras de sulfato (BRS), superior a 50%. Os bioensaios em batelada com o lodo de fundo e o lodo em suspensão do RAnLE apontaram que a biomassa aderida foi mais apta a suportar a carga tóxica proveniente do corante e das aminas aromáticas. A estrutura do RAnLE permitiu o estabelecimento de biomassa aderida e biomassa suspensa, concorrendo ambas para melhor desempenho do sistema. / The present work assessed the employment of an anaerobic up-flow fixed-structured bed (AUFFSB) reactor, which aimed to remove the main constituents of a simulated textile effluent with azo dye Direct Black 22 (DB22) and sulphate ions (65 and 200 mg.L-1, respectively), main constituents in residual waters generated by denim industry in Caruaru, PE. Ethanol was employed as electron donor (1000 mg.COD.L-1). Medium removals for COD, sulphate and dye concentration were respectively 80.28 &#177; 6.62%, 78.66 &#177; 4.04% and 68 &#177; 5%. Circa 3% of produced sulphide was identified in the effluent, 10% in gaseous state and approximately 87% precipitated either as metallic inorganic crystals, as elemental sulphur due to exposition to atmosphere, or due to the azo bound reduction of DB22, which contributed to colour removal in the generation of aromatic amines from the azo dye. The volatile fatty acids totalized 121 &#177; 34 mg.L-1 while acetic acid was the predominant one (95 &#177; 17 mg.L-1). Nevertheless, such concentrations did not impair the buffering capacity of the system, which had increased alkalinity due to the occurrence of sulphidogenesis and of the alkaline characteristic of the aromatic amines, which were produced from azo bound cleavage, revealing absorption in different wavelengths in the UV zone, inferring that different aromatic structures were formed. As for the toxicity, the simulated textile effluent was more toxic before treatment than after treatment for both bioessays employing Ceriodaphnia dubia and Daphnia magna, (chronic and acute toxicity), attesting the potential of anaerobic reactors to detoxify azo dye DB22. The in vitro cytotoxicity tests using McCoy cells (fibroblasts of a continuous lineage) exposed to simulated textile effluent treated on the anaerobic bioreactor presented a dose-dependent behaviour. The effluent diluted 3 times showed inhibition to 50% of the cells. On the other hand, it was not possible to verify a dose-dependent behaviour considering the different concentrations of DB22. However, there was significant statistical difference on cell viability for DB22 concentrations of 0.016, 0.065, 0.2 and 0.26 mg.mL-1. The results pointed to the need of diverse toxicity tests to various organisms in order to complement the results obtained by conventional used ones. Micrographs revealed the presence of methanogenic archeas, denoting the possibility of coexistence between sulphidogenic and methanogenic communities, considering the observed COD/sulphate ration of 5. Metadata obtained from metagenomic sequencing revealed high relative abundance of sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB), which was superior to 50%. Batch bioessays showed that biomass in supporting material is more capable of enduring the toxic load from DB22 and aromatic amines. The AUFFSB structure enabled that suspended biomass developed along with fixed biomass, thus both collaborated for a better system performance.

Gifter och föroreningar förekommer sällan ensamma och studier om olika toxiska substanser genomförs ofta med endast en substans i taget. Det finns studier som har undersökt exempel på olika cocktails av substanser, men ibland är det svårt att identifiera alla källor som påverkar en organism. Vi har undersökt hur en kombination av ogräsmedlet Roundup och livsmedelsklassad polypropylenplast påverkar det sötvattenlevande kräftdjuret Daphnia magna. Vi fann att i högre doser orsakar Roundup 100% dödlighet innan könsmognad, men att det i små doser inte resulterar i lägre fitness än kontrollgruppen, utan till och med ökade den initiala överlevnaden när den tillsattes i plastbrukar. En cocktail av Roundup och plast orsakade en fördubblad utvecklingstid för äggen. Ägg från individer i plastburkar hade också en längre utvecklingstid men dessa individer hade även ett mycket högre antal ägg. Framtida studier bör undersöka avkommans fitness. Tidigt i studien upptäckte vi att det med stor sannolikhet fanns en tredje faktor som påverkade daphnierna negativt, som inte kunde förklaras av Roundup eller plastburkar, men som vi inte kunde identifiera. Därför vill vi också framhäva att experiment lätt kan påverkas av okända faktorer. / Toxins and pollutants rarely come alone and studies about various toxic substances are often performed with only one substance at a time. There are studies that have examined different cocktails of substances, but sometimes it can be difficult to identify all sources that affect an organism. We have investigated how a combination of the herbicide Roundup and Food Safe polypropylene plastic affect the freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna. We found that Roundup causes 100% mortality before reaching fertility in higher doses, but that in small doses does not result in lower fitness compared to the control group, but even increases the initial survival rate when Roundup is added to plastic jars. A cocktail of Roundup and plastic resulted in a doubled development time for the eggs. Eggs from individuals in plastic jars also had a longer development time but there was also a much higher number of eggs from these individuals. Futiure studies ought to investigate the fitness of the offspring. Early in the study we discovered that there was most likely a third factor influencing the daphnia negatively, that could not be explained by plastic jars or Roundup, but one that we could not identify. Therefore, we also wish to urge that experiments can easily be influenced by unknown factors.

A qualidade dos efluentes líquidos do Pólo Industrial de Belford Roxo e das águas do Rio Sarapuí foram avaliadas por meio de ensaios de toxicidade aguda com Daphnia similis, Ceríodaphnia dúbia e Danio rerio e ensaios de toxicidade crônica com Ceriodaphnia dúbia e Selenastrum capricornutum. Em associação ao monitoramento ecotoxicológico, foram realizados os procedimentos de Avaliação e Identificação da Toxicidade - AIT (Toxicity Identification Evaluation - TIE) os quais possibilitaram a identificação dos agentes tóxicos para as duas matrizes. Para o efluente, foi identificado o íon cloreto como principal agente tóxico, complementado por efeitos aditivos de metais, amônia e sulfeto. As águas do Rio Sarapuí apresentam os nutrientes fósforo e nitrogênio como principais agentes tóxicos, com toxicidade aditiva de metais, amônia e sulfeto. Embora a Estimativa de Impactos Ambientais a partir dos dados de toxicidade do efluente sugira impactos mínimos por parte do lançamento de efluentes do Pólo no compartimento água superficial, a qualidade das águas desse rio já apresenta por si só um impedimento à manutenção da vida aquática. O constante lançamento de esgoto não tratado compromete a qualidade das águas do rio Sarapuí, culminando num quadro de completa degradação devido ao aumento da concentração de nutrientes e matéria orgânica, que acaba por inviabilizar o correto equilíbrio desse ecossistema e suas interações ecológicas naturais. / The quality of Belford Roxo Industrial Plant effluent and water from Sarapuí River were evaluated with Daphnia similis, Ceriodaphnia dubia and Danio rerio acute and chronic toxicity tests. In association with the ecotoxicological monitoring, the Toxicity Identification Evaluation procedure were performed and the identification of the toxic compounds was possible. The Chloride ion was identified as the major toxic compound in the effluent with additional effects of Metals, Ammonium and Sulfide. For the Sarapuí River, the compounds of Phosphorus and Nitrogen were identified as the major toxic compounds with addictive effects of Metals, Ammonium and Sulfide. Although the environmental impact estimation based on the effluent toxicity suggests a minor impact on the water quality of Sarapuí River, this was already sufficiently contaminated to make impracticable the establishment of an aquatic community. The constant discharge of untreated sludge promotes the eutrophication of this water body and makes impossible the equilibrium of this ecosystem.

No description available.

Uncertainty is pervasive in risk assessment. In ecotoxicological risk assessments, it arises from such sources as a lack of data, the simplification and abstraction of complex situations, and ambiguities in assessment endpoints (Burgman 2005; Suter 1993). When evaluating and managing risks, uncertainty needs to be explicitly considered in order to avoid erroneous decisions and to be able to make statements about the confidence that we can place in risk estimates. Although informative, previous approaches to dealing with uncertainty in ecotoxicological modelling have been found to be limited, inconsistent and often based on assumptions that may be false (Ferson & Ginzburg 1996; Suter 1998; Suter et al. 2002; van der Hoeven 2004; van Straalen 2002a; Verdonck et al. 2003a). In this thesis a Generalised Linear Modelling approach is proposed as an alternative, congruous framework for the analysis and prediction of a wide range of ecotoxicological effects. This approach was used to investigate the results of toxicity experiments on the effect of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid (2,4-D) formulations and 4-Chlorophenol (4-CP, an associated breakdown product) on Daphnia carinata. Differences between frequentist Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian Markov-Chain Monte-Carlo (MCMC) approaches to statistical reasoning and model estimation were also investigated. These approaches are inferentially disparate and place different emphasis on aleatory and epistemic uncertainty (O'Hagan 2004). Bayesian MCMC and Probability Bounds Analysis methods for propagating uncertainty in risk models are also compared for the first time. For simple models, Bayesian and frequentist approaches to Generalised Linear Model (GLM) estimation were found to produce very similar results when non-informative prior distributions were used for the Bayesian models. Potency estimates and regression parameters were found to be similar for identical models, signifying that Bayesian MCMC techniques are at least a suitable and objective replacement for frequentist ML for the analysis of exposureresponse data. Applications of these techniques demonstrated that Amicide formulations of 2,4-D are more toxic to Daphnia than their unformulated, Technical Acid parent. Different results were obtained from Bayesian MCMC and ML methods when more complex models and data structures were considered. In the analysis of 4-CP toxicity, the treatment of 2 different factors as fixed or random in standard and Mixed-Effect models was found to affect variance estimates to the degree that different conclusions would be drawn from the same model, fit to the same data. Associated discrepancies in the treatment of overdispersion between ML and Bayesian MCMC analyses were also found to affect results. Bayesian MCMC techniques were found to be superior to the ML ones employed for the analysis of complex models because they enabled the correct formulation of hierarchical (nested) datastructures within a binomial logistic GLM. Application of these techniques to the analysis of results from 4-CP toxicity testing on two strains of Daphnia carinata found that between-experiment variability was greater than that within-experiments or between-strains. Perhaps surprisingly, this indicated that long-term laboratory culture had not significantly affected the sensitivity of one strain when compared to cultures of another strain that had recently been established from field populations. The results from this analysis highlighted the need for repetition of experiments, proper model formulation in complex analyses and careful consideration of the effects of pooling data on characterising variability and uncertainty. The GLM framework was used to develop three dimensional surface models of the effects of different length pulse exposures, and subsequent delayed toxicity, of 4-CP on Daphnia. These models described the relationship between exposure duration and intensity (concentration) on toxicity, and were constructed for both pulse and delayed effects. Statistical analysis of these models found that significant delayed effects occurred following the full range of pulse exposure durations, and that both exposure duration and intensity interacted significantly and concurrently with the delayed effect. These results indicated that failure to consider delayed toxicity could lead to significant underestimation of the effects of pulse exposure, and therefore increase uncertainty in risk assessments. A number of new approaches to modelling ecotoxicological risk and to propagating uncertainty were also developed and applied in this thesis. In the first of these, a method for describing and propagating uncertainty in conventional Species Sensitivity Distribution (SSD) models was described. This utilised Probability Bounds Analysis to construct a nonparametric 'probability box' on an SSD based on EC05 estimates and their confidence intervals. Predictions from this uncertain SSD and the confidence interval extrapolation methods described by Aldenberg and colleagues (2000; 2002a) were compared. It was found that the extrapolation techniques underestimated the width of uncertainty (confidence) intervals by 63% and the upper bound by 65%, when compared to the Probability Bounds (P3 Bounds) approach, which was based on actual confidence estimates derived from the original data. An alternative approach to formulating ecotoxicological risk modelling was also proposed and was based on a Binomial GLM. In this formulation, the model is first fit to the available data in order to derive mean and uncertainty estimates for the parameters. This 'uncertain' GLM model is then used to predict the risk of effect from possible or observed exposure distributions. This risk is described as a whole distribution, with a central tendency and uncertainty bounds derived from the original data and the exposure distribution (if this is also 'uncertain'). Bayesian and P-Bounds approaches to propagating uncertainty in this model were compared using an example of the risk of exposure to a hypothetical (uncertain) distribution of 4-CP for the two Daphnia strains studied. This comparison found that the Bayesian and P-Bounds approaches produced very similar mean and uncertainty estimates, with the P-bounds intervals always being wider than the Bayesian ones. This difference is due to the different methods for dealing with dependencies between model parameters by the two approaches, and is confirmation that the P-bounds approach is better suited to situations where data and knowledge are scarce. The advantages of the Bayesian risk assessment and uncertainty propagation method developed are that it allows calculation of the likelihood of any effect occurring, not just the (probability)bounds, and that the same software (WinBugs) and model construction may be used to fit regression models and predict risks simultaneously. The GLM risk modelling approaches developed here are able to explain a wide range of response shapes (including hormesis) and underlying (non-normal) distributions, and do not involve expression of the exposure-response as a probability distribution, hence solving a number of problems found with previous formulations of ecotoxicological risk. The approaches developed can also be easily extended to describe communities, include modifying factors, mixed-effects, population growth, carrying capacity and a range of other variables of interest in ecotoxicological risk assessments. While the lack of data on the toxicological effects of chemicals is the most significant source of uncertainty in ecotoxicological risk assessments today, methods such as those described here can assist by quantifying that uncertainty so that it can be communicated to stakeholders and decision makers. As new information becomes available, these techniques can be used to develop more complex models that will help to bridge the gap between the bioassay and the ecosystem.

Ziel der Arbeit war eine möglichst umfassende Analyse der Nahrungsbedingungen von D. galeata unter Berücksichtigung der damit verbundenen Strategien der Daphnien zur Optimierung des Nahrungserwerbs, um den Einfluß dieser Faktoren bezüglich des Auftretens einer Sommerdepression der Daphnien zu beurteilen. Aufbauend auf den bereits vorhandenen Kenntnissen aus der Literatur sollte dazu im Rahmen der Arbeit festgestellt werden, ob morphologische Veränderungen des Filtrationsapparates der Daphnien (Ausbildung großer, hydrodynamisch dichter Filter), die als Reaktion auf die geringen Nahrungsmengen im Klarwasserstadium auftreten, bei einer drastischen Erhöhung der Nahrungskonzentration zu einer &amp;quot;Überlastung&amp;quot; der Filterbeine der Daphnien, zu hohen Energieausgaben und schließlich zu erhöhter Mortalität (Sommerdepression) führen können. Hauptziel war dabei die Klärung der Frage, ob bottom-up gesteuerte schnelle Veränderungen im Nahrungsangebot, wie sie für geringe bottom-up Limitation (Hypertrophie) typisch sind, eine erhöhte Mortalität bei Daphnien hervorrufen können. Die Beantwortung dieser Fragestellung ist wichtig, um die Effizienz der top-down Steuerung (Biomanipulation) als ökotechnologische Maßnahme zur Gewässersanierung zu erhöhen. Dazu wurden in der biomanipulierten Talsperre Bautzen in drei Untersuchungsjahren (1997 - 1999) wichtige bottom-up wirkende Steuerfaktoren der Daphnienentwicklung sowie morphologische Charakteristika der Filterkämme und physiologische Leistungskriterien von D. galeata vor und während der Zeit des potentiellen Auftretens einer Sommerdepression untersucht. Aus den Ergebnissen ließ sich ableiten, daß das Zusammenspiel der vielfältigen Anpassungsmöglichkeiten der Daphnien in einem bestimmten Variationsbereich der Steuerfaktoren eine erfolgreiche Strategie zur Optimierung der Nahrungsaufnahme darstellen kann. Werden jedoch bestimmte Schwellenwerte über- oder unterschritten, ist eine Kompensation durch die Anpassungsstrategien nicht oder nur bedingt möglich. Dabei kann durch verschiedene Ursachen der gleiche Effekt (Mortalität adulter Daphnien) auftreten, was die Interpretation erschwert. Dieser Effekt wird besonders bei adulten Daphnien durch die gegenüber juvenilen Daphnien höheren Filterwiderstände und die damit verringerte effektive Energieaufnahme begünstigt. Erst wenn ungünstige Nahrungsbedingungen und die am Ende der Klarwasserphase beobachteten ungünstigen Konstellationen der Filterkämme zusammentreffen (timing), tritt die erhöhte Mortalität adulter Daphnien auf. Die Ergebnisse der Untersuchungen unterstreichen damit die Bedeutung von Ganzsee-Experimenten und die möglichst simultane Erfassung verschiedener Zustandsgrößen, um eine umfassende Kausalanalyse der Sommerdepression der Daphnien zu ermöglichen, zu der die vorliegende Arbeit einen Beitrag liefert. Für den Erfolg der Biomanipulation konnte daher geschlußfolgert werden, daß eine nachhaltige Wirkung nur dann erreicht werden kann, wenn zusätzlich zur top-down Steuerung des Nahrungsnetzes gleichzeitig eine erfolgreiche Kontrolle der bottom-up Prozesse im Gewässer realisiert wird, indem starke Schwankungen von bottom-up Faktoren vermieden werden und damit das System insgesamt stabilisiert wird. / The occurrence of midsummer declines of daphnids is often related to poor food conditions or fish predation. In this three-year-study on the midsummer decline of Daphnia galeata field investigations in the highly eutrophic biomanipulated Bautzen reservoir were combined with flow-through experiments in the laboratory. The following hypothesis was tested: The inability of adult Daphnia to reduce the filtering area of their feeding appendages in response to fast increasing food levels after a clear-water phase enhances adult mortality. During the clear-water phase daphnids develop large and dense filtercombs to optimise their filter feeding. When food concentrations increase, however, this adaptation to low-food situation may be inappropriate due to too high energy consumtion. As adult daphnids cannot reduce the size of their feeding appendages, the filtration process may be hindered when seston concentrations rise, resulting in reduced fitness and increasing adult mortality. Indeed, adult survival in the laboratory (predation excluded) drastically decreased exactly at that time when the Daphnia galeata population in Bautzen reservoir declined. However, enhanced mortality was found irrespective of different food conditions offered during the experiments. It is concluded that increased mortality of adult daphnids is not an direct effect of their inability to adapt the morphology of their filtercombs to high seston concentrations. Furthermore daphnids are able to compensate unfavorable food conditions within a certain range by different kinds of adaptation mechanisms. Therefore the timing of the changes of food conditions and the adaptations of daphnids is most important to the efficiency of energy gain of the daphnids. Concerning the success of biomanipulation it is concluded that in addition to the regulation of top-down mechanisms there is an urgent need for control of bottom-up processes in order to stabilize the ecosystem.

The population dynamics and demography of Daphnia galeata was analysed in a five year study in the biomanipulated Bautzen Reservoir. Samples were taken two times a week during the period May-July in the pelagic zone of this highly eutrophic water. Major bottom-up and top-down factors were determined during the study period and analysed with regard to their influence on Daphnia dynamics and life history. Field data on fecundity and population structure of D. galeata were combined with results from life table and growth experiments performed under approximately in situ conditions to gain insight into the mechanisms leading to a midsummer decline of this cladoceran species which dominates the zooplankton community in Bautzen Reservoir. Two main patterns of Daphnia dynamics emerged: In years without a midsummer decline the population increased slowly in spring, starting from low densities. High water transparency was observed already during the build-up of the population of D. galeata. Despite considerable fluctuations, Daphnia abundance remained on a high level throughout summer. In years with a midsummer decline the population started from relatively high densities in early May and more than doubled during one week. Peak densities were reached before the clear-water stage emerged. At the end of this period the population declined to low values which lasted for the rest of the summer. Fecundity of the Population of D. galeata declined, whereas the mean egg volume increased at the beginning of the clear-water stage as a result of declining food levels. The size at maturity (SAM) remained high during this period. Additionally, juvenile growth was reduced and the age at maturity was retarded. Survival probability was low for those daphnids born shortly before or during the clear-water stage compared to those born later. It can be concluded from these results that recruitment to adult stages is strongly reduced during the clear-water stage. The end of this period is marked by an alternation in generations. Only at that time can SAM be reduced because the new generation of adults matures at a smaller size, carrying small eggs. A high impact of non-predatory adult mortality can be expected when the population is dominated by a strong peak-cohort during the clear-water stage according to recruitment patterns during the build-up of the population. The most drastic decline both of Daphnia abundance and SAM was observed in those years when the biomass of juvenile fish exceeded 20 kg ha-1 at the end of the clear-water stage. Due to gape-size limitation juvenile fish mainly feed on juvenile daphnids during this period and thus, they reinforce bottom-up effects on the Daphnia population. When fish change their size selection towards adult daphnids at the time when the new generation takes over, this seems to represent the worst case for the Daphnia population. Consequently, the timing between bottom-up effects and the feeding pressure of juvenile fish determines the extent of the decline. - (This manuscript is also available - in the form of a book - from Shaker Verlag GmbH, Postfach 101818, 52018 Aachen, Germany world-wide web address: http://www.shaker.de, electronic-mail address: info@shaker.de. It has been posted on the web sites of Dresden University of Technology with the permission of the publisher)