title: Ecotoxicological risk assessment of chemical pollution in four Iberian river basins and its relationship with the aquatic macroinvertebrate community status.
abstract: Ecotoxicological risk assessment of chemical pollution in four Iberian river basins (Llobregat, Ebro, Júcar and Guadalquivir) was performed. The data set included more than 200 emerging and priority compounds measured at 77 sampling sites along four river basins studied. The toxic units (TU) approach was used to assess the risk of individual compounds and the concentration addition model (CA) to assess the site specific risk. Link between chemical pollution and aquatic macroinvertebrate communities in situ was examined by using four biological indexes; SPEAR ("Species at Risk Index") as the indicator of decline of sensitive species in relation to general organic (SPEARorganic) and pesticides (SPEARpesticides) pollution; and Shannon and Margalef biodiversity indexes. The results of the study suggested that organic chemicals posed the risk of acute effects at 42% of the sampling sites and the risk of chronic effects at all the sites. Metals posed the acute risk at 44% of the sites. The main drivers of the risk were mainly pesticides and metals. However, several emerging contaminants (e.g. the antidepressant drug sertraline and the disinfectant triclosan) were contributing to the chronic effects risk. When risk associated with metals and organic chemicals was compared, the latter dominated in 2010, mainly due to the presence of highly toxic pesticides, while metals did in 2011. Compounds that are not regulated on the European level were posing the risk of chronic effects at 23% of the sites. The decline of sensitive macroinvertebrate taxa expressed in terms of SPEAR index was correlated with the increase of toxic stress related to organic compounds Biodiversity indexes were negatively correlated with the metals and the urban land use type in the catchment.
authors.affiliation: Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Dep. of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuzmanović
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biosciences, Department of Ecology, University of São Paulo, R. do Matão, Travessa 14, 321 Butantã 05508-090 São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Julio C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: López-Doval
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Núria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: De Castro-Català
authors.affiliation: Institute of Aquatic Ecology and Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Girona, Campus de Montilivi, 17071 Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guasch
authors.affiliation: Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), H2O Building, Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; ICREA, Passeig Lluis Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Mira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petrović
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.affiliation: Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Dep. of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ginebreda
authors.affiliation: Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Dep. of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), H2O Building, Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: Damià
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barceló
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D054750:Ecotoxicology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000145:classification* / Q000254:growth & development; D008670:Metals; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D013030:Spain; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D010575:Pesticides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Emerging contaminants; Macroinvertebrate communities; Risk assessment; River basins; Toxic units