Primary production of freshwater microbial communities is affected by a cocktail of herbicides in an outdoor experiment.

Primary production (PP) is a key variable to evaluate the quality of the ecological services provided by freshwater bodies because it gives information on the amount of oxygen and organic matter incorporated into the system. We analysed the impact of a mixture of commercial formulations of glyphosate- and 2,4-D-based herbicides (Roundup Max® and AsiMax 50®, respectively) on freshwater primary production. Primary production was studied through the oxygen exchange method. Four measurements were made during a 23-day experiment in outdoor mesocosms using the light and dark bottle method. High and low concentrations of the active ingredients were assayed to evaluate a concentration-dependent effect. Our results indicated that the mixture of Roundup Max® and AsiMax 50® acted mostly additively on gross and net primary production. Moreover, we found a concentration-dependent effect of each herbicide on PP. Thus, AsiMax 50® at low and Roundup Max® at high concentration induced a significant early decrease in respiration and gross primary production 4 h after application, attributable to physiological responses. Besides, significant increases in primary production were simultaneously recorded with increases in chlorophyll a concentration and micro + nano-phytoplankton abundance 7 days after the application of Roundup Max® at high concentration. This study contributes to the knowledge of the impact of widely used herbicides on freshwater ecosystems.

Effects of the herbicide Roundup on freshwater microbial communities: a mesocosm study.

The impact of the widely used herbicide glyphosate has been mainly studied in terrestrial weed control, laboratory bioassays, and field studies focusing on invertebrates, amphibians, and fishes. Despite the importance of phytoplankton and periphyton communities at the base of the aquatic food webs, fewer studies have investigated the effects of glyphosate on freshwater microbial assemblages. We assessed the effect of the commercial formulation Roundup using artificial earthen mesocosms. The herbicide was added at three doses: a control (without Roundup) and two treatments of 6 and 12 mg/L of the active ingredient (glyphosate). Estimates of the dissipation rate (k) were similar in the two treatments (half-lives of 5.77 and 7.37 d, respectively). The only two physicochemical parameters showing statistically significant differences between treatments and controls were the downward vertical spectral attenuation coefficient kd(lambda), where lambda is wavelength, and total phosphorus concentration (TP). At the end of the experiment, the treated mesocosms showed a significant increase in the ratio kd(490 nm)/k(d)(550 nm) and an eightfold increase in TP. Roundup affected the structure of phytoplankton and periphyton assemblages. Total micro- and nano-phytoplankton decreased in abundance in treated mesocosms. In contrast, the abundance of picocyanobacteria increased by a factor of about 40. Primary production also increased in treated mesocosms (roughly by a factor of two). Similar patterns were observed in the periphytic assemblages, which showed an increased proportion of dead: live individuals and increased abundances of cyanobacteria (about 4.5-fold). Interestingly, the observed changes in the microbial assemblages were captured by the analysis of the pigment composition of the phytoplankton, the phytoplankton absorption spectra, and the analysis of the optical properties of the water. The observed changes in the structure of the microbial assemblages are more consistent with a direct toxicological effect of glyphosate rather than an indirect effect mediated by phosphorus enrichment.

Relationship between micro-invertebrates and macrophytes in a wetland: Laguna Iberá (Corrientes, Argentina). Implications for water quality monitoring.

From November 2000 to September 2001, eight points in the Iberá lagoon were sampled bimonthly. At each point, pH, temperature and dissolved oxygen were measured and invertebrates were collected from the water around macrophytes by mean of a net of 180 mu m pore size. Four biotic indices were calculated and compared, given similar trends. The total number of taxa shows to be a good and simple indicator of water quality. Averaging indices across points we obtained a good positive correlation between indices and temperature. In this ecosystem, multi-habitat sampling must be used in order to obtain a good estimation of ecological integrity. The total number of taxa can be used for water quality assessment.