Effects of Cumulative Municipal Wastewater Exposure on Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages: An Experimental Stream Approach
Municipal wastewater effluent (MWWE) is a common source of nutrient enrichment and provides a route for emerging substances of concern (ESOCs) to enter aquatic systems. Community composition and abundance metrics of benthic macroinvertebrates are commonly utilized to assess ecological impacts associ...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Hydrobiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9917/4/2/17 |
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| author | Aphra M. Sutherland Frederick J. Wrona David C. Barrett |
| author_facet | Aphra M. Sutherland Frederick J. Wrona David C. Barrett |
| author_sort | Aphra M. Sutherland |
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| description | Municipal wastewater effluent (MWWE) is a common source of nutrient enrichment and provides a route for emerging substances of concern (ESOCs) to enter aquatic systems. Community composition and abundance metrics of benthic macroinvertebrates are commonly utilized to assess ecological impacts associated with nutrient enrichment; however, the responses of these metrics in systems with diverse chemical mixtures from MWWE, are not well understood. This study specifically addresses the effects of cumulative loading of tertiary-treated MWWE through responses in benthic macroinvertebrate communities in experimental control and treatment streams. Treatment streams used source river water previously exposed to upstream wastewater treatment plants but with an additional 5% by volume tertiarily treated MWWE, while control streams used only source river water. Surbers and artificial substrate rock baskets were used to examine impacts on both established and colonizing benthic communities, respectively. No significant differences were observed between the control and treatment streams in any of the community metrics of well-established benthic communities. In contrast, significant decreases in colonizing taxon diversity and evenness were found between treatment and control streams. The dominant taxa (most abundant family, by percentage of sample) in the community, often filter feeders, significantly increased in percentage of the total community in treatment streams. This response was consistent with a nutrient enrichment effect, with no evidence of ESOC related toxicity. This study highlights the need for bioassessment programs to utilize approaches involving varied in-situ sampling methods and controlled exposure systems to gain a better understanding of how various stages of community-level development are impacted by urban pollutants such as MWWE. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-347ec77a5687406ea5d9fe1747bad53e |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2673-9917 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Hydrobiology |
| spelling | doaj-art-347ec77a5687406ea5d9fe1747bad53e2025-08-20T02:21:06ZengMDPI AGHydrobiology2673-99172025-06-01421710.3390/hydrobiology4020017Effects of Cumulative Municipal Wastewater Exposure on Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages: An Experimental Stream ApproachAphra M. Sutherland0Frederick J. Wrona1David C. Barrett2Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CanadaDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CanadaDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CanadaMunicipal wastewater effluent (MWWE) is a common source of nutrient enrichment and provides a route for emerging substances of concern (ESOCs) to enter aquatic systems. Community composition and abundance metrics of benthic macroinvertebrates are commonly utilized to assess ecological impacts associated with nutrient enrichment; however, the responses of these metrics in systems with diverse chemical mixtures from MWWE, are not well understood. This study specifically addresses the effects of cumulative loading of tertiary-treated MWWE through responses in benthic macroinvertebrate communities in experimental control and treatment streams. Treatment streams used source river water previously exposed to upstream wastewater treatment plants but with an additional 5% by volume tertiarily treated MWWE, while control streams used only source river water. Surbers and artificial substrate rock baskets were used to examine impacts on both established and colonizing benthic communities, respectively. No significant differences were observed between the control and treatment streams in any of the community metrics of well-established benthic communities. In contrast, significant decreases in colonizing taxon diversity and evenness were found between treatment and control streams. The dominant taxa (most abundant family, by percentage of sample) in the community, often filter feeders, significantly increased in percentage of the total community in treatment streams. This response was consistent with a nutrient enrichment effect, with no evidence of ESOC related toxicity. This study highlights the need for bioassessment programs to utilize approaches involving varied in-situ sampling methods and controlled exposure systems to gain a better understanding of how various stages of community-level development are impacted by urban pollutants such as MWWE.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9917/4/2/17emerging substances of concern (ESOCs)biomonitoringcommunity compositioncumulative effectscolonization |
| spellingShingle | Aphra M. Sutherland Frederick J. Wrona David C. Barrett Effects of Cumulative Municipal Wastewater Exposure on Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages: An Experimental Stream Approach Hydrobiology emerging substances of concern (ESOCs) biomonitoring community composition cumulative effects colonization |
| title | Effects of Cumulative Municipal Wastewater Exposure on Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages: An Experimental Stream Approach |
| title_full | Effects of Cumulative Municipal Wastewater Exposure on Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages: An Experimental Stream Approach |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Cumulative Municipal Wastewater Exposure on Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages: An Experimental Stream Approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Cumulative Municipal Wastewater Exposure on Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages: An Experimental Stream Approach |
| title_short | Effects of Cumulative Municipal Wastewater Exposure on Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages: An Experimental Stream Approach |
| title_sort | effects of cumulative municipal wastewater exposure on benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages an experimental stream approach |
| topic | emerging substances of concern (ESOCs) biomonitoring community composition cumulative effects colonization |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9917/4/2/17 |
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