title: Lead pollution in a large, prairie-pothole lake (Rush Lake, WI, USA): effects on abundance and community structure of indigenous sediment bacteria.
abstract: Rush Lake (WI, USA), the largest prairie-pothole lake east of the Mississippi River, has been contaminated with lead pollution as a result of over 140 years of waterfowl hunting. We examined: (1) the extent of lead pollution in Rush Lake sediments and (2) whether lead pollution in Rush Lake is affecting the abundance and community structure of indigenous sediment bacteria. Sediment lead concentrations did not exceed 59 mg Pb kg(-1) dry sediment. No relationship was observed between sediment lead concentration and the abundance of aerobic (P=0.498) or anaerobic (P=0.416) heterotrophic bacteria. Similarly, lead did not appear to affect bacterial community structure when considering both culturable and nonculturable community members. In contrast, the culturable fraction of sediment bacteria in samples containing 59 mg Pb kg(-1) exhibited a unique community structure. While factors other than lead content likely play roles in determining bacterial community structure in the sediments of Rush Lake, these data suggest that the culturable fraction of sediment bacterial communities is affected by elevated lead levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Microbiology, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, 800 Algoma Blvd, 142 Halsey Science Center, Oshkosh, WI 54901, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Grandlic
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Geib
authors.forename: Renee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pilon
authors.forename: Todd R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Sandrin
mesh_terms: D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D044822:Biodiversity; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005618:Fresh Water; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D014922:Wisconsin
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D007854:Lead