Exploring the effects of acid mine drainage on diatom teratology using geometric morphometry

• Published in: Ecotoxicology (London) Vol. 26; no. 8; pp. 1018 - 1030
• Main Authors: Olenici, Adriana, Blanco, Saúl, Borrego-Ramos, María, Momeu, Laura, Baciu, Călin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-10-2017; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acid mine drainage; Analysis; Aquatic habitats; Area; Copper; Deformation; Diatoms; Drainage systems; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Management; Fluvial deposits; Heavy metals; Interactive systems; Metal concentrations; Mine drainage; Mine wastes; Mineral industry; Mining; Mining industry; Morphometry; Parameters; Plankton; Pollution; Populations; Statistical analysis; Taxa; Teratology; Valves; Water pollution; Zinc; Geometric morphometry; Diatom abnormal valve; Indicator species; Mine waters
• ISSN: 0963-9292; 1573-3017
• DOI: 10.1007/s10646-017-1830-3

Metal pollution of aquatic habitats is a major and persistent environmental problem. Acid mine drainage (AMD) affects lotic systems in numerous and interactive ways. In the present work, a mining area (Roșia Montană) was chosen as study site, and we focused on two aims: (i) to find the set of environmental predictors leading to the appearance of the abnormal diatom individuals in the study area and (ii) to assess the relationship between the degree of valve outline deformation and AMD-derived pollution. In this context, morphological differences between populations of
Achnanthidium minutissimum
and
A. macrocephalum
, including normal and abnormal individuals, were evidenced by means of valve shape analysis. Geometric morphometry managed to capture and discriminate normal and abnormal individuals. Multivariate analyses (NMDS, PLS) separated the four populations of the two species mentioned and revealed the main physico-chemical parameters that influenced valve deformation in this context, namely conductivity, Zn, and Cu. ANOSIM test evidenced the presence of statistically significant differences between normal and abnormal individuals within both chosen
Achnanthidium
taxa. In order to determine the relative contribution of each of the measured physico-chemical parameters in the observed valve outline deformations, a PLS was conducted, confirming the results of the NMDS. The presence of deformed individuals in the study area can be attributed to the fact that the diatom communities were strongly affected by AMD released from old mining works and waste rock deposits.