Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Multidisciplinary Assessment of River Surface Water Quality in Areas Heavily Influenced by Human Activities

  • Published:
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present study could serve as a multidisciplinary approach for the assessment of river surface water quality with the use of chemical and biological methods. Specifically, physicochemical parameters, heavy metals, and pesticides were measured in water samples from three different stations (sampling station S1, S2, and S3) along Asopos River (Greece). In parallel, algal species (primary producers)—such as Scenedesmus rubescens and Chlorococcum sp.; consumer invertebrate species, such as the fairy shrimp Thamnocephalus platyurus and the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus; as well as human lymphocytes—were exposed to those samples for assessing their toxic and genotoxic/mutagenic effects. According to the results, although the values of almost all of the physicochemical parameters tested, heavy metals (zinc, cadmium, lead, and mercury) and pesticides were lower than or within the respective environmental quality standards, thus offering no clear evidence for their natural or anthropogenic origin. Values recorded for nickel, chromium, hexavalent chromium, and malathion represent a typical case of mixed influence from natural and anthropogenic enrichments. In contrast, the algal growth arrest, the acute toxic effects on the freshwater invertebrates, and the increased micronuclei frequencies observed in human lymphocytes showed the presence of human-derived hazardous substances, which were hardly determinable with the use of conventional chemical methods. Given that the presence of priority pollutants in river surface waters, heavily burdened by anthropogenic activities, could give no clear evidence for their biological risk, the results of the present study showed that chemical and biological assays should be applied in parallel, thus serving as a reliable tool for the assessment of river water quality.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahmed M, Rocha JBT, Mazzanti CM, Morsch ALB, Cargnelutti D, Correa M et al (2007) Malathion, carbofuran and paraquat inhibit Bungarus sindanus (krait) venomacetylcholinesterase and human serum butyrylcholinesterase in vitro. Ecotoxicology 16:363–369

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Albanis TA, Hela DG, Sakellarides TM, Konstantinou IK (1998) Monitoring of pesticide residues and their metabolites in surface and underground waters of Imathia (N. Greece) by means of solid-phase extraction disks and gas chromatography. J Chromatogr A 823:59–71

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • American Society for Testing and Materials (1994) Standard guide for conducting static 96 h toxicity tests with microalgae. In: Annual book of ASTM standards. ASTM E1218-90. ATSM, Philadelphia

  • Andonova BL, Levy AM (2003) Franchising governance: Making sense of the Johannesburg Type II partnerships. In: Stokke OS, Thommessen ØB (eds) Yearbook of international co-operation on environment and development 2003/2004. Earthscan Publications, London, pp 19–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Angelidis MO, Aloupi M (2000) Geochemical study of coastal sediments influenced by river-transported pollution: Southern Evoikos Gulf, Greece. Mar Pollut Bull 40:77–82

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bae M-J, Park Y-S (2014) Biological early warning system based on the responses of aquatic organisms to disturbances: a review. Sci Total Environ 466–467:635–649

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bianchi J, Espindola ELG, Marin-Morales MA (2011) Genotoxicity and mutagenicity of water samples from the Monjolinho River (Brazil) after receiving untreated effluents. Ecotoxicol Environ Safe 74:826–833

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bonassi S, El-Zein R, Bolognesi C, Fenech M (2011) Micronuclei frequency in peripheral blood lymphocytes and cancer risk: evidence from human studies. Mutagenesis 26:93–100

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Botsou F, Karageorgis AP, Dassenakis E, Scoullos M (2011) Assessment of heavy metal contamination and mineral magnetic characterization of the Asopos River sediments (Central Greece). Mar Pollut Bull 62:547–563

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Budischak SA, Belden LK, Hopkins WA (2009) Relative toxicity of malathion to trematode-infected and noninfected Rana palustris tadpoles. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 56:123–128

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cáceres T, Megharaj M, Naidu R (2007) Toxicity of fenamiphos and its metabolites to the Cladoceran Daphnia carinata: the influence of microbial degradation in natural waters. Chemosphere 66:1264–1269

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cerejeira MJ, Viana P, Batista S, Pereira T, Silva E, Valerio MJ et al (2003) Pesticides in Portuguese surface and ground waters. Water Res 37:1055–1063

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Companhia de Tecnologiade Saneamento Ambiental (2005) Ano 2004: Relatorio da qualidade das aguas interiors do Estado de Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil

  • Charizopoulos E, Papadopoulou-Mourkidou E (1999) Occurrence of pesticides in rain of the Axios river basin, Greece. Environ Sci Technol 33:2363–2368

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clesceri LS, Grenberg AE, Eaton AD (1999) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 20th edn. APHA, AWWA, WEF, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • D’Elia CF, Steudler PA, Corwin N (1977) Determination of total nitrogen in aqueous samples using persulfate digestion. Limnol Oceanogr 22:760–764

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeFu H, RuiRui C, EnHui Z, Na C, Bo Y et al (2014) Toxicity bioassays for water from black-odor rivers in Wenzhou. China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22(3):1731–1741

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Denkhaus E, Salnikow K (2002) Nickel essentiality, toxicity and carcinogenicity. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 42:35–56

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 (2000) Establishing a framework for community action in the field of water policy. Off J Eur Union L327:1–73

    Google Scholar 

  • Directive 2013/39/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 (2013) Amending directives 2000/60/EC and 2008/105/EC as regards priority substances in the field of water policy. Off J Eur Union L226:1–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Ekweozor IKE, Bobmanuel NOK, Gabriel UU (2001) Sublethal effect of ammonical fertilizer effluents on three commercial fish species from Niger Delta Area, Nigeria. J Appl Sci Environ Manag 5:63–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenech M (1997) The advantages and disadvantages of the cytokinesis-block micronucleus method. Mutat Res 392:11–18

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fenech M, Chang WP, Kirsch-Volders M, Holland N, Bonassi S, Zeiger E (2003) HUMN project: detailed description of the scoring criteria for the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay using isolated human lymphocyte cultures. Mutat Res 534:65–75

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ginebreda A, Kuzmanovic M, Guasch H, López de Alda M, López-Doval JC, Muñoz I et al (2014) Assessment of multi-chemical pollution in aquatic ecosystems using toxic units: compound prioritization, mixture characterization and relationships with biological descriptors. Sci Total Environ 468–469:715–723

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffini O, Bao ML, Barbieri C, Burrini D, Pantani F (1997) Occurrence of pesticides in the Arno river and in potable water- A survey of the period 1992–1995. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 59:202–209

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gurushankara HP, Krishnamurthy SV, Vasudev V (2007) Effect of malathion on survival, growth, and food consumption of Indian cricket frog (Limnonectus limnocharis) tadpoles. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 52:251–256

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huber A, Bach M, Frede HG (2000) Pollution of surface waters with pesticides in Germany: modeling non-point source inputs. Agric Ecosyst Environ 80:191–204

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • International Organization for Standardization (1987) Water quality—algal growth inhibition test. Draft International Standard ISO/DIS 8692. Geneva, Switzerland

  • Isidori M, Parrella A, Piazza CML, Strada R (2000) Toxicity screening of surface waters in southern Italy with Toxkit microbiotests. In: Persoone G et al (eds) New microbiotests for routine toxicity screening and biomonitoring. Kluwer Academic, New York, pp 289–294

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Jha AN (1998) Use of aquatic invertebrates in genotoxicological studies. Mutat Res 399:1–2

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Katranitsas A, Castritsi-Catharios J, Persoone G (2003) The effects of copper based antifouling paint on mortality and enzymatic activity of non-target marine organisms. Mar Pollut Bull 46:1491–1494

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kirkillis CG, Pasias IN, Miniadis-Meimaroglou S, Thomaidis NS, Zabetakis I (2012) Concentration levels of trace elements in carrots, onions, and potatoes cultivated in Asopos region, Central Greece. Anal Lett 45:551–562

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Konstantinou IK, Hela DG, Albanis TA (2006) The status of pesticide pollution in surface waters (rivers and lakes) of Greece. Part I. Review on occurrence and levels. Environ Pollut 141:555–570

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kumari B, Gha A, Pathak MG, Bora TC, Roy MK (1998) Experimental biofilm and its application in malathion degradation. Folia Microbiol 43:27–30

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lekkas T, Kostopoulou M, Petsas A, Vagi M, Golfinopoulos S, Stasinakis A et al (2003) Monitoring priority substances of directives 76/464/EEC and 2000/60/EC in Greek water bodies. J Environ Monit 5:593–597

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lemos AO, Oliveira NCD, Lemos CT (2011) In vitro micronuclei tests to evaluate the genotoxicity of surface water under the influence of tanneries. Toxicol In Vitro 25:761–766

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Linos A, Petralias A, Christophi CA, Christoforidou E, Kouroutou P, Stoltidis M et al (2011) Oral ingestion of hexavalent chromium through drinking water and cancer mortality in an industrial area of Greece—An ecological study. Environ Health 10:50

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Loizidou M (1998) Environmental impact assessment study and preliminary approval of site allocation study for the central industrial wastewater treatment plant in the Asopos River [in Greek]. National Technical University of Athens

  • Mediterranean Science Commission (2006) Fluxes of small and medium-size Mediterranean rivers: impact on coastal areas. Mediterranean Science Commission Workshop Monographs No. 30, Monaco, France

  • Michniewicz M, Nałęcz-Jawecki G, Stufca-Olczyk J, Sawicki J (2000) Comparison of chemical composition and toxicity of wastewaters from pulp industry. In: Persoone G et al (eds) New microbiotests for routine toxicity screening and biomonitoring. Kluwer Academic, New York, pp 401–412

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Moraetis D, Nikolaidis NP, Karatzas GP, Dokou Z, Kalogerakis N, Winkel LH et al (2012) Origin and mobility of hexavalent chromium in North-Eastern Attica, Greece. Appl Geochem 27:1170–1178

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nicolau R, Galera-Cunha A, Lucas Y (2006) Transfer of nutrients and labile metals from the continent to the sea by a small Mediterranean river. Chemosphere 63:469–476

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nunes EA, de Lemos CT, Gavronski L, Moreira TN, Oliveira NC, da Silva J (2011) Genotoxic assessment on river water using different biological systems. Chemosphere 84:47–53

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ohe T, Watanabe T, Wakabayashi K (2004) Mutagens in surface waters: a review. Mutat Res 567:109–149

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • OECD (1994) Environmental indicators: OECD core set. OECD Publishing, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • OECD (2011) Test no. 201: freshwater alga and cyanobacteria, growth inhibition test. OECD guidelines for the testing of chemicals. OECD Publishing, Paris Section 2

    Google Scholar 

  • OECD (2014) Test no. 487: in vitro mammalian cell micronucleus test. OECD guidelines for the testing of chemicals. OECD Publishing, Paris Section 4

    Google Scholar 

  • Papadopoulou-Mourkidou E, Karpouzas DG, Patsias J, Kotopolou A, Milothridou A, Kintzikoglou K et al (2004) The potential of pesticides to contaminate the groundwater resources of the Axios river basin in Macedonia, Northern Greece. Part I. Monitoring study in the north part of the basin. Sci Total Environ 321:127–146

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pellacani C, Buschini A, Furlini M, Poli P, Rossi C (2006) A battery of in vivo and in vitro tests useful for genotoxic pollutant detection in surface waters. Aquat Toxicol 77:1–10

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pereira WE, Hostettler FD (1993) Non-point source contamination of the Mississippi river and its tributaries by herbicides. Environ Sci Technol 27:1542–1552

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Persoone G, Janssen C, De Coen W (2000) New microbiotests for routine toxicity screening and biomonitoring. Kluwer Academic, London

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Planas C, Caixach J, Santos FJ, Rivera J (1997) Occurrence of pesticides in Spanish surface waters. Analysis by high-resolution gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Chemosphere 34:2393–2406

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pollack N, Cunningham AR, Rosenkrantz HS (2003) Environmental persistence of chemicals and their carcinogenic risks to humans. Mutat Res 528:81–91

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt W, O’Rourke K, Hernan R, Quinn B (2011) Effects of the pharmaceuticals gemfibrozil and diclofenac on the marine mussel (Mytilus spp.) and their comparison with standardized toxicity tests. Mar Pollut Bull 62:1389–1395

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sprague JB, Ramsay BA (1965) Lethal effects of mixed copper and zinc solutions for juvenile salmon. J Fish Res Board Can 22:425–432

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stasinos S, Zabetakis I (2013) The uptake of nickel and chromium from irrigation water by potatoes, carrots and onions. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 91:122–128

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stout MD, Herbert RA, Kissling GE, Collins BJ, Travlos GS, Witt KL et al (2009) Hexavalent chromium is carcinogenic to F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice after chronic oral exposure. National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA. Environ Health Perspect 117:716–722

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Surrallés J, Xamena N, Creus A, Catalan J, Norppa H, Marcos R (1995) Induction of micronuclei by five pyrethroid insecticides in whole-blood and isolated human lymphocyte cultures. Mutat Res 341:169–184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tentes G, Damigos D (2012) The lost value of groundwater: The case of Asopos River Basin in central Greece. Water Resour Manag 26:147–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Toufexi E, Tsarpali V, Efthimiou I, Vidali M-S, Vlastos D, Dailianis S (2013) Environmental and human risk assessment of landfill leachate: an integrated approach with the use of cytotoxic and genotoxic stress indices in mussel and human cells. J Hazard Mater 260:593–601

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tsarpali V, Kamilari M, Dailianis S (2012) Seasonal alterations of landfill leachate composition and toxic potency in semi-arid regions. J Hazard Mater 233–234:163–171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • United States Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (2005) Toxicological profile for nickel, pp 32

  • United States Environmental Protection Agency (1996) Ecological effect test guidelines. OPPTS 850.5400. Algal toxicity, tiers I and II. USEPA

  • United States Geological Survey (1999) The quality of our nation’s waters-nutrients and pesticides. USGS Circular 1225:82

    Google Scholar 

  • Vasilatos C, Megremi I, Economou-Eliopoulos M (2010) Geochemical characteristics of natural waters contaminated by hexavalent chromium in Eastern Sterea Hellas, Greece. In: Christofides G, Kantiranis N, Kostopoulos DS, Chatzipetros AA (eds) Proceedings of the XIX congress of the carpathian balkan geological association, Scientific Annales, School of Geology, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, S99: 347–353

  • Vlastos D, Skoutelis CG, Theodoridis IT, Stapleton DR, Papadaki MI (2010) Genotoxicity study of photolytically treated 2-chloropyridine aqueous solutions. J Hazard Mater 177:892–898

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vorosmarty CJ, McIntyre PB, Gessner MO, Dudgeon D, Prusevich A, Green P et al (2010) Global threats to human water security and river biodiversity. Nature 467:555–561

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • White PA, Rasmussen JB, Blaise C (1996) Comparing the presence, potency, and potential hazard of genotoxins extracted from a broad range of industrial effluents. Environ Mol Mutagen 27:116–139

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • White PA, Côté C (1998) Investigating the sources and fate of genotoxic substances in aquatic ecosystems with the SOS Chromotest. In: Wells PG, Lee K, Blaise C (eds) Microscale testing in aquatic toxicology. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 607–630

    Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization (2011) A review of human carcinogens part C: Arsenic, metals, fibres, and dusts. International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, pp 147–168

  • Wolska L, Sagajdakow A, Kuczynska A, Namiesnik J (2007) Application of ecotoxicological studies in integrated environmental monitoring: possibilities and problems. Trends Anal Chem 26:332–344

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yadav A, Gopesh A, Pandey RS, Rai DK, Sharma B (2007) Fertilizer industry effluent induced biochemical changes in freshwater teleost Channa striatus (Bloch). Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 79:588–595

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yao J, Gao Q, Li X, Hu M, Miao M, Pan B (2014) Investigating river pollution flowing into Dianchi Lake using a combination of GC–MS analysis and toxicological tests. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 92:67–70

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zegura B, Heath E, Cernoša A, Filipic M (2009) Combination of in vitro bioassays for the determination of cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of wastewater, surface water and drinking water samples. Chemosphere 75:1453–1460

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ziogas C, Theochari C, Leivadaros R, Boura A, Pantelaras P, Papadopoulou M et al (2009) The Asopos river problem and proposals for its confrontation [in Greek]. TCG, Athens

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the annual research grant sanctioned to the Departments of Biology and Environmental and Natural Resources Management by the University of Patras, Greece. Additional data associated with the present study can be found in the Supporting Information.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Animal Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Patras, 26500, Patras, Greece

    Nikolina Charalampous, Vasiliki Tsarpali & Stefanos Dailianis

  2. Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Management, University of Patras, 30100, Agrinio, Greece

    Aggeliki Kindou, Dimitris Vlastos, Maria Antonopoulou & Ioannis Konstantinou

Authors
  1. Nikolina Charalampous
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Aggeliki Kindou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Dimitris Vlastos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Vasiliki Tsarpali
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Maria Antonopoulou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ioannis Konstantinou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Stefanos Dailianis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stefanos Dailianis.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 66 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Charalampous, N., Kindou, A., Vlastos, D. et al. A Multidisciplinary Assessment of River Surface Water Quality in Areas Heavily Influenced by Human Activities. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 69, 208–222 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-015-0152-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-015-0152-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation