Annex C Water Quality and Heavy Metals in Freshwater Pearl Mussels and Their Habitat
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ANNEX C Annex C Water quality and heavy metals in freshwater pearl mussels and their habitat Aspholm, Paul Erik1 , Veersalu, Aune2, Nilsson, Lars Ola1, Larsen, Björn Mejdell3, Christensen, Guttorm4, Olofsson, Patrik5 1 Bioforsk – Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research, Soil and environment Svanhovd, Norway 2 Metsähallitus, Natural Heritage Services Lapland, Finland 3 NINA – Norwegian Institute for nature research, Norway 4 Akvaplan-niva, High North Research Centre, Norway 5 County Administrative Board of Norrbotten, Water and Fisheries Unit, Sweden 1 Background stand what could be the human impacts and Each river is unique in respect to water qualities. effect of these impacts together with the various In general, hydro-chemical conditions in rivers other parameters influencing water quality in are determined by several environmental vari- the individual rivers. Subsequently, it is also ables such as geological conditions, topology, important to know whether any measures might vegetation, climatic conditions and anthropo- result in side-effects or combination effects that genic activities will also differ as regards spatial are also harmful to the mussels. This is especially scales – along the river, and time scales – within important in a long-term perspective. and between years. The habitat changes may occur as a result of In general, the chemistry of northern relatively modest climatic changes (Hastie et al European waters varies considerably, although 2003) and as well the physical microhabitat of nutrient levels are generally low throughout the the freshwater pearl mussel (Hastie et al 2000). northern region of interest in this project e.g. Geist and Auerswald (2007) points out that the due to low temperatures and corresponding stream bed appears to be the most important relatively low biological activities. The rivers habitat factor limiting the recruitment of fresh- in northern Norway and the Kola Peninsula water pearl mussel, and that measures should be that flow on the Baltic Shield have generally the long-term functioning restoration of natural low levels of dissolved solids (Brittain et al. flow and dynamic in the whole river catchment. 2009). Bedrock, soils and geography are very Human activities have become increas- heterogeneous, resulting in a wide variation in ingly important to ecosystems also at high natural water chemistry in the project area and latitudes, and they impact them, for instance, also within the watercourses (Fig. 1). Each river through the long-range transport of pollutants with a freshwater pearl mussel population has and nutrients. In general they are impacted by its natural and unique chemical composition to climate change and locally by local sources such which the mussel population has acclimatized. as settlements and urban areas, agriculture, This must be taken into consideration when reindeer husbandry, forestry, melioration. The setting priorities for monitoring, whether it is two last named are the local factors with the to monitor the changes in the environment of greatest impact in the target area. Emissions and freshwater pearl mussels in general or to reveal other effects of industrial activities on the Kola the parameters that require measures in order to Peninsula as well as in Finland and Sweden are restore mussel populations or to remediate their important factors in part of the target area, but habitats. The main problem is then to under- also other long-distance transportation has an 136 ANNEX C Figure 1. Bedrock map illustrating the great diversity in geological conditions in the region. Such high diversity also occurs at smaller spatial scales, (Norwegian Geological Survey). Map legends are given in Appendix 1. influence. The type of soil in the catchments are selected freshwater pearl mussel rivers in the then influencing the effects of all this factors, target area. and is important also to know the type of soil Along with riverbed conditions and their and its physicochemical properties. substrate dynamics, governed by flow regime Threats to freshwater pearl mussels may be changes, a decline in water quality is often identifiable from existing information about the responsible for the loss of freshwater pearl mussel waters. This information is, however, relatively recruitment currently and in the past, and is scarce and insufficient for conclusions to be probably the main cause of possible further drawn, and further investigations are, therefore, extinction of populations (Larsen 1997). The required. In several watercourses within our juveniles are more sensitive to pollution than project area, regular or occasional water quality the adults, and persistent intermediate levels of sampling have been carried out. These are often eutrophication could prevent long-term recruit- ordered by or conducted by the environmental ment, resulting in a population dynamics with authorities. However, only a few data are avail- ageing cohorts (Bauer 1988). The important able for actual rivers containing freshwater pearl parameters affecting recruitment are BOD mussel populations. In order to increase the (biochemical oxygen demand), and calcium and understanding of hydro-chemical processes in phosphate levels in the water. Increased content freshwater pearl mussel rivers, available water of total phosphorus and nitrogen, resulting in quality data from freshwater pearl mussel eutrophication since phosphate is usually the rivers in the target area with the best coverage limiting factor for plant and algae growth, of samples has been summarized and analysed illustrates the importance of monitoring water in this project. In addition, within this project qualities. According to data from Swedish rivers regular water sampling was carried out in four (Degerman et al. 2009) total phosphorus (totP), 137 ANNEX C concentration in rivers with freshwater pearl for freshwater pearl mussels (Degerman et al. mussel populations varies from 5 to 15 µg/l 2009). during flooding. Degerman et al. (2009) suggest Conductivity is also connected to total 10µg/l as a limit for freshwater pearl mussels. dissolved solids as well as to dissolvents of salts. For Phosphate (PO4) a concentration of 5 µg/l Good environments for freshwater pearl mussels is suggested as a limit in Irish rivers (Moorkens usually have low conductivity. Freshwater pearl 2006). One has to keep in mind that, during the mussels prefer neutral or slightly alkaline water, vegetative period, all phosphate can be taken up and the lower pH limit in Scandinavia is suggested by plants, so it is not found in free water. Bauer to be 6.2 (Degerman et al. 2009). Alkalinity is (1988) observed that adult mortality is correlated often low in the rivers in the target region, and with nitrate concentration. A limit of 125 µg/l water is acid-sensitive, and the freshwater pearl has been suggested for NO3 (Moorkens 2006). mussel prefers rivers that are not too low in Decomposing algae and other organic matter calcium. Acid waters come in combination with depletes oxygen and causes elevated total ammo- certain chemicals and metals, often resulting in niacal nitrogen (TAN) levels. pH in the rivers more toxic components of this chemical. Metal of the target-area are mostly too low to cause activity is also affected by the calcium concen- + TAN to occur as ammonia (NH4 ). Ammonia tration and the content of complex forming is not measured separately in water monitoring substances. Humus forms complexes with in Finland, in spite of its extremely poisonous metals, reducing the proportion of ionic metals effects on aquatic life. In addition, monitoring in the water, but it also, for instance, inhibits TAN fluctuations at different periods of the year the oxidation of toxic ferrous iron to the less is important, as this indicates human impact toxic ferric form (see Vuorinen et al. 1988, for and the sediment situation in the river. NH4-N references). Iron content varies a lot and is high oxidation causes low-oxygen conditions near in many Finnish rivers, but how iron affects the the bottom and in sediment that is harmful to aquatic system also depends on temperature, freshwater pearl mussels, especially for young light, flow condition, etc. Fe (II) oxidation can individuals during the warm period. The end be accelerated by other metals, phosphates, of summer and early autumn appear to be a fluoride, the abundance of the bacteria Thio- critical period when TAN is high due to macro- bacillus ferrooxidans, and slowed down by e.g. algae (mainly filamentous algae) dying off while sulphate, nitrate and chloride (Vuori 1995). The the water is not cold yet. Nitrification during complex processes, shifting elemental composi- winter is so slow that oxidation almost does not tions and ecological effects, make it hard to set occur in shallow cooler sites. Nevertheless, it any clear limit values. Linton et al. (2007) do, is going on in deeper warmer parts of the river however, suggest 210 µg/l of total iron as an system. In addition, during the summer inten- upper limit for sensitive benthos. Iron content sive vegetation growth also expends oxygen and is often higher in Finnish and Swedish rivers, raises pH, resulting in TAN transforming to and an iron peak of 500 µg/l was shown not ammonia. Freshwater mussels are more sensitive to be harmful to the freshwater pearl mussel at to ammonia than many other benthic species normal pH (Taskinen et al. 2011), but in combi- (Wang et al. 2007). nation with low pH conditions the cumulative Elevated turbidity and level of particles effect is likely to affect recruitment. Aluminium and suspended solids are among the biggest can also be high in rivers in the target area. threats to freshwater pearl mussel populations, During acidic events, the content of poisonous causing stress and clogging of the river beds. inorganic aluminium increases substantially. Average turbidity during spring flood should Inorganic aluminium is not normally measured not exceed 1 FNU (Degerman et al. 2009), and in Finland. Total aluminium is measured mostly a suspended solids level of <3 mg/l is suggested during winter.