Silva Carlos, Ré Ana, Abrantes Nelson, Gonçalves Fernando J M, Pereira Joana Luísa
CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
J Xenobiot. 2025 Aug 15;15(4):132. doi: 10.3390/jox15040132.
Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents can be important sources of contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) for riverine ecosystems, with some accumulation in sediments. This study investigated the ecotoxicological effects of sediment samples collected near three WWTPs. Sediment elutriates, simulating resuspension conditions, and whole sediment samples were tested. Results showed that sediments were toxic to some organisms and beneficial to others. Elutriates from one site significantly reduced luminescence in the bacterium , though this was not consistently linked to sediment contaminant levels. Significant noxious effects of elutriates were recorded for the macrophyte (yield reductions up to 48%) and the microalgae (yield reductions up to 25%). Exposure to elutriates resulted in increased reproduction and increased biomass yield of exposed to sediments directly. Overall, there were no major toxicity variations in samples collected upstream and downstream of the effluent outfall. Suggesting limited hazardous potential of the effluent and a potential masking effect of background contamination (mostly metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). The complexity of effluent-sourced contamination, coupled with the realistic testing approach, renders this work a valuable contribution to understanding the role of WWTP effluents in surface freshwaters contamination and their effects, especially concerning CECs.
污水处理厂（WWTP）的废水可能是河流生态系统中新兴关注污染物（CEC）的重要来源，会在沉积物中有所积累。本研究调查了在三个污水处理厂附近采集的沉积物样本的生态毒理效应。对模拟再悬浮条件的沉积物淘析液和整个沉积物样本进行了测试。结果表明，沉积物对一些生物有毒，而对另一些生物有益。来自一个地点的淘析液显著降低了细菌的发光，不过这与沉积物污染物水平并无始终一致的关联。记录到淘析液对大型植物（产量降低高达48%）和微藻（产量降低高达25%）有显著的有害影响。暴露于淘析液导致直接暴露于沉积物中的轮虫繁殖增加和生物量产量增加。总体而言，在排放口上游和下游采集的样本中没有主要的毒性变化。这表明废水的潜在危害有限，以及背景污染（主要是金属和多环芳烃）的潜在掩盖效应。废水源污染的复杂性，加上实际的测试方法，使得这项工作对于理解污水处理厂废水在地表淡水污染中的作用及其影响，特别是关于新兴关注污染物方面，做出了有价值的贡献。
