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Resistance of Communities to Chronic Haloaromatic Contamination from Biogenic and Anthropogenic Sources
EPA Grant Number: R824776Title: Resistance of Communities to Chronic Haloaromatic Contamination from Biogenic and Anthropogenic Sources
Investigators: Lincoln, David E. , Lewis, V. Pernell , Lovell, Charles R. , Woodin, Sarah A.
Institution: University of South Carolina at Columbia
EPA Project Officer: Levinson, Barbara
Project Period: January 1, 1996 through December 1, 1998
Project Amount: $470,000
RFA: Water and Watersheds (1995)
Research Category: Water and Watersheds
Description:
Halogenated aromatic compounds are important pollutants characterized by their toxicity, persistence and accumulation in the environment, and abundant production and frequent use in a variety of industrial processes. This project examines the extent to which the capacity to degrade naturally-occurring halogenated aromatic compounds determines the biological impact of anthropogenic halophenol pollutants on marine benthic communities. The potential for haloaromatic metabolism by organisms at sites with biogenic, bromophenol producing marine worms will be compared to that at a nearby site with substantial haloaromatic contamination from urban, industrial and agricultural runoff. Rapid assay systems will be used to measure enzyme activities and genetic probes will be constructed and used to assess the potential for dehalogenation among the polychaete worms, which dominate these sedimentary ecosystems, and the worm-associated bacteria, as well as other principal community members. The enzyme assays and DNA probes plus induction experiments will enable us to determine if dehalogenation potential is an important determinant of organism survival and persistence in both biogenically and anthropogenically contaminated locations. The presence and abundance of polychaetes at the undisturbed estuarine site which has little input of anthropogenic halogenated compounds site have been determined. Forty percent of the community members were found to contain halogenated metabolites. Sediments in the estuary appeared to contain halometabolites, regardless of whether the large organisms at the immediate site were haloaromatic producers or not. The survey of community composition of the smaller polychaetes, which comprise the largest abundances of intertidal benthic macrobiota, found that sites characterized by diverse sediments had very similar species composition. Two pure bacterial cultures have been isolated from the worm burrows. Both of the cultures have been shown to produce a reductive debrominase. The characterization of one bacterium is complete and characterization of its enzyme is in progress. The goals which are currently being pursued include documenting dehalogenation in these polychaete worm community members employing enzyme assays, antibody detection, and a genetic probe. Additional near term activities include completion of the purification and characterization of the bacterial dehalogenase enzymes and the development of probes to characterize the genetic potential for dehalogenation by bacteria associated with the macrofauna. Dehalogenation activities against brominated (common biogenic) and chlorinated (common anthropogenic) haloaromatics will be tested. Our findings to date highlight the abundance and broad distribution of benthic macro- and micro-organisms capable of production and/or degradation of halometabolites. A large proportion of invertebrate taxa which are numerically dominant in coastal marine sediments are halometabolite producers and likely produce dehalogenating enzymes. Bacterial communities associated with these organisms also appear to be enriched in haloaromatic-degrading species. The potential of these benthic communities to carry out dehalogenation of natural and anthropogenic haloaromatic compounds appears to be quite high and will be characterized through this study. This project will improve our ability to assess impacts of persistent haloaromatic compounds on biota by determining the abilities of these organisms to detoxify a contaminated environment. Publications and Presentations:Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 27 publications for this project
Journal Articles:Journal Articles have been submitted on this project: View all 16 journal articles for this project
Supplemental Keywords:water, sediments, marine, estuary, ecological effects, population, enzymes, chemicals, toxics, PAHs, organics, ecosystem, restoration, aquatic, habitat, environmental chemistry, biology, ecology, genetics, zoology, survey, southeast, South Carolina, SC, Region 4. , Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Water, Geographic Area, Scientific Discipline, Waste, RFA, Ecosystem/Assessment/Indicators, Water & Watershed, Biology, exploratory research environmental biology, Chemistry, Wet Weather Flows, Ecological Indicators, Ecological Effects - Human Health, EPA Region, Hydrology, Watersheds, Environmental Chemistry, Chemical Mixtures - Environmental Exposure & Risk, Ecological Effects - Environmental Exposure & Risk, Ecosystem Protection, Contaminated Sediments, Agronomy, State, runoff, water quality, aquatic ecosystem, industrial chemicals, ecosystem response , anthropogenic stresses, ecological response, biological condition, anthropogenic haloaromatic contamination, aquatic biota, gene probes, agricultural discharges, biogenic haloaromatic contamination, chronic haloaromatic contamination, contaminated sediment, citizen perceptions, contaminant transport, South Carolina (SC), bromophenol producing marine worms, ecological exposure, agricultural watershed, anthropogenic processes, aquatic ecosystems, urbanization, region 4, urban runoff, anthropogenic stress, haloaromatic contamination, ecological impacts, sediment
Progress and Final Reports:
1999 Progress Report
Final Report