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National Conference on Biodiversity, Development and Poverty Alleviation 22nd May , 2010

Exploring Biodiversity as Bioindicators for Water

Akanksha Jain, Brahma N. Singh, S. P. Singh, H. B. Singh* & Surendra Singh *Department of Botany; Department of Mycology and Plant Pathology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221 005 *Email : hbs1@red iffmail.com

iodiversity plays a central role in making life water supply, tourism, flood control and waste sustainable on this planet for all . The management. Healthy , healthy people Bfate of human is interlinked with demand clean water and the control of vector-based fates of all organisms whether plant, animals or and other diseases depending on processes. microbes living around us and directly or indirectly Water scarcity and declining access to is affecting our lives. The simplest way to understand a globally significant and accelerating problem for this is to just remember the mode of energy transfers, 1-2 billion people worldwide, leading to reductions nutrient, oxygen and water cycling going on. Our in food production, human health, and economic planet is tightly linked by global communication development. systems, exchange of materials and their maintenance Together with the air we breathe, the provision where all of them are being interdependent. For of clean water is arguably the most fundamental example our health depends upon the environment service provided by ecosystems. Human activities we live in and food we eat. To protect our self we have fundamentally altered and threatened inland need to protect our planet, the ecosystems and water ecosystems. As a consequence species depen- individual species present around the globe. dant on inland waters is more likely go to extinction. Biodiversity is crucial to the poverty alleviation, It has been reported that future extinction rates of due to the basic goods and services it provides. freshwater animals could be up to 5 times higher than Around 70% of the world’s poor live in rural areas for terrestrial animals. People living in rural areas and and depend on biodiversity for their livelihood and those living in poverty are often the first to suffer well-being. The urban poor too rely upon biodiversity, when the aquatic environment is disturbed. Clean not only for the production of food and other freshwater is essential for sustaining both people and necessary goods, but also for ecosystem services such species. While it is globally recognized that freshwater as the maintenance of air and and waste management must balance development and . The impact of biodiversity loss may environmental needs, efforts to implement a more have most severe consequences for people living in integrated approach have seen limited success in past. poverty, directly because they have few livelihood Most visibly lacking is the understanding of ecosystem options to rely on and indirectly because of functions needs into water management measures and the they perform in the ecosystem. There is an urgent valuation of other goods and services that freshwater need to develop strategies to protect biodiversity if ecosystems provide. we want to achieve poverty eradication and Skilful management of our water bodies are sustainable development. More than 3 billion people required if they are to be used for diverse purpose as depend on marine and coastal biodiversity. The areas domestic and industrial supply, crop irrigation, requiring urgent attention are those for health and transport, recreation etc. In order to identify the nature

50 Uttar Pradesh State Biodiversity Board National Conference on Biodiversity, Development and Poverty Alleviation 22nd May , 2010

of and their impact, quick and reliable monitoring systems are essential. So using our biodiversity to respond to the pollutants present and its load with changes in vital functions or organisms capable of accumulating them are best possible indicators available in the nature. There are several environmental conditions for the existence of bioindicators, such as the transmission of light, water temperature, and suspended solids. Therefore, by using bioindicators, we can see the environmental conditions of a certain area or the extent of pollution. Developing indicators to manage water for people and nature may thus benefit us in gathering knowledge about water quality. Indicator organisms are any biological species that defines a trait or characteristics of the environment. Fig. 1 Design of a bioind icator. What are bioindicators? Bioindicators are organisms, chemical markers or ◆ Indicator should be available all the year and biological processes whose change point can be should have low variability to noise in the observed to altered environmental conditions and can system. be used to identify and quantify the effects of ◆ Indicator should have results which are pollutants on the environment. It can also be defined transparent and reproducible. as anthropogenically induced response in ◆ Indicator should sometime even surrogate the role biomolecular, biochemical and physiological effects of other responses. on one or more organisms, population, ◆ Indicator should be easy to collect and should or ecosystem level of biological organization. be cost-effective. Bioindicators can tell us about the cumulative effects of different pollutants in the ecosystem and about how Bioindicators may be of two types (Fig. 2), a) long a problem may persist, for example: a) abundance accumulation bioindicator: store pollutants without of large marine or darkening of coral any evident changes in their ; b) response pigmentation may indicate that a reef has been bioindicator: react with changes or visible exposed to poor quality of water for several weeks or symptoms of damage when taking up even small months, b) reduced in plants or coral quantity of harmful substances. Types of responses observed while using them may be: a) ecological may indicate due to exposure of herbicides. changes: involving changes in population density, Criteria for selecting bioindicators : key species and ; b) behavioural changes: can be changes in feeding activities, bacterial ◆ Indicator should have casual relationship to mobility or web spinning; and c) physiological ecological significant endpoint. changes: can be accumulation of heavy metal, CO 2 ◆ Indicator should have specific dose production, BOD and microbial activity. responsiveness to specific stressor i.e. should Organisms including plants, animals, and be sensitive and specific. have been adopted in ◆ Indicator should have wide temporal and spatial The majority of bioassays are based on presence- distribution. absence or on physiological, behavioural or genotypic

Uttar Pradesh State Biodiversity Board 51 characteristics: ◆ The indicator bacterium should be present whenever enteric are present. ◆ The indicator bacterium should not reproduce in contaminated water and produce inflated values. ◆ It should survive longer than the hardiest enteric . ◆ It should have greater specificity. ◆ Its detection assay should be easy to perform. ◆ It should be harmless to humans. ◆ Its level in water should have some direct relationship with faecal pollution.

Some important bioindicator bacteria are :

Fig. 2 Types of bioindicators. ◆ Total coliforms and faecal coliforms: the coliform group includes Klebsiella, Escherichia, Citrobacter and Enterobacter. Faecal coliforms expression of certain (or groups of) indicator (Fc) are coliforms which respond to elevated o organisms. temperature of 44.5 C within 24 hours by acid Natio and gas production. These coliforms are derived Microorganisms as bioindicators : nd from intestines of warm blooded animals (E.coli). 22 M Microorganisms are diverse group of organisms Fc concentration less than 200/100ml indicates found in large quantities and are easier to detect and Salmonella occurrence ranging from 6.5 to 31% sample. The presence of some microorganisms is well and 1000/100ml indicate double Salmonella correlated with particular type of pollution and it concentration. Their presence can be detected by serves as standard indicator of pollution. Some bacteria performing following tests: produce stress in response to contaminant like and . 1. Multiple tube fermentation test The main source of organic burden of sewage is 2. Membrane filter test human body waste, or, faeces, and microorganisms 3. Presence - absence test are themselves a main part of human faeces. If a person 4. Faecal Streptococci: in water, this genus is has gastrointestinal illness or is a carrier of represented by Streptococcus bovis, S. gastrointestinal pathogen such as Salmonella typhi, equims which are considered to be the true the pathogen is excreted along with rest of microbial streptococci. It is suggested that faecal population. Bacteriphage can too be used as faecal coliforms/faecal streptococci (Fc/Fs) ratio of pollution indicators of viral pollution. Two phages somatic coliphage which infects E.coli host strains 4 or more indicates water contamination of and F-specific RNA coliphage which infects E.coli and human origin and Fc/Fs less than 0.7 related bacteria can be used as indicators. Some other indicates contamination from animal origin. microorganisms have been dealt later; here we will 5. Clostridium perfringens: Their heat and concentrate on bacteria as bioindicator. disinfection resistant hardy spores are used Ideal bacterial indicator for water analysis as indicators for . (contamination of faecal origin) should have following 6. Other anaerobic bacteria such as

52 Bacteria containing light emitting lux/luc 11. Bioluminescent bacteria: These are used to test water for environmental . If there

Introduced it in the environment are toxins present in the water, the cellular of bacteria is inhibited or disrupted. This affects quality or amount of Cells Extract Extract DNA light emitted by bacteria (Fig. 3). It is very quick method and takes just 30 minutes to

Luciferase+ complete but could not identify the . Plating Direct Substrate DNA microscopy Examples of such luminous bacteria include + Substrate Photobacterium fisceri, P. phosphoreum.

Southern Plants as bioindicators : Light production Bioluminescent blot using Bioluminescent cells/ estimated in colonies labelled The presence or absence of plants or vegetative scintillation colonies lux/luc counter life can provide important clues about environmental

Photograph Auto photograph health, or they can be accumulators of metal or their metabolism product, for example, the total algal Fig. 3: Assay to check for the presence of toxic contaminant using in aquatic system serves as an important bioluminescent bacteria metric for organic pollution and nutrient loading such as nitrogen and phosphorous. Plants are increasingly Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides are being used as highly effective and sensitive tools for potential indicators. Bifidobacterium are recognizing and predicting environmental stresses. primarily associated with human The problemNational of Conference water pollution on Biodiversity, has become Development acute and Poverty All contamination. now-a- days due to industrialization and urbanization. 22nd May 7. Other indicators may be Pseudomonas spp., Aquatic plants provide useful information on the yeast, Aeromonas, Staphylococcus, acid fast status of aquatic environment as they do not migrate mycobacteria. from one place to another and they quickly attain equilibrium with their ambient environment. Some 8. Some genetically engineered microbes are examples of lower group of plants as pollution designed to remove arsenic and other heavy indicators are as follows: metal from contaminated water. ◆ Synechococcus leopoliensis (blue-green alga) and 9. Recently, a bacterium Vogesella indigofera Dunaliella showed heavy metal pollution by was found to respond to heavy metal accumulation, and are good water pollution quantitatively. Under conditions without indicator pollution by metals, this bacterium produces a blue pigmentation which is so distinct that ◆ Cellular malformation, chlorosis and significant any morphological change might easily be increase in heterocyst frequency have been seen detected visually. In the presence of in Anabaena cylindrica under cadmium stress. hexavalent chromium, their pigment ◆ Selanastrum capricornutum (also known as production will be obstructed, and the Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata) was applied to relationship between chromium concen- pollution and is now used for assessment of water trations and blue-pigment production by the pollution. bacterium can be correlated. ◆ tests can be performed on Chlorella 10. Marine bacterium Vibrio harveyi may be an vulgaris, Scapricornatum, Senedesmus subs- appropriate bioindicator of mutagenic picatus by observing culture conditions, culture pollution. volume and light intensity.

53 National Conference on Biodiversity, Development and Poverty Alleviation 22nd May , 2010

◆ A change in species diversity of phytoplankton Animals as bioindicators : is indicator of polluted , for An increase or decrease in an animal population example, Euglena clastica, Phacous tortus and may indicate damage to the ecosystem. For example, Trachelon anas. if depletion of important food sources occurs, animal ◆ Toxicity tests can be performed on Chlorella species dependent upon these food sources will also vulgaris, Scapricornatum, Senedesmus be reduced in number i.e. . subspicatus by observing culture conditions, can result due to growth of culture volume and light intensity. opportunistic species. In addition to monitoring the ◆ Charophytes are affected by moderate number of certain species, other mechanisms of animal eutrophication. Therefore, they are often used indication include monitoring the concentration of as bioindicators for good water quality. toxins in their tissues, or monitoring the rate at which deformities arise in animal populations. Some ◆ Eloidea canadensis, filamentous alga Ceramium examples are given below: strictum, C. teniucorine, Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Champia parvula are also ◆ Zooplanktons like Alona guttata, Moscyclopes proposed organisms as indicators, edex, Cyclips, Aheyella are zone dependent ◆ Floating Eichhornia crassipes for mercury, non- pollution indicators. rooted submerged Ceratophyllum demersum and ◆ Coral Bioindicator: Temporal variation in range rooted submerged Potomogeton crispies for of indicators includes (Fig. 4) symbiont density, assessing heavy metals like cadmium, copper, concentration of chlorophyll, skeletal density, iron, lead, zinc and manganese in rivers. colony brightness of Pocillopora and density of ◆ and liverworts can also be used to access macro-bioeroders and colony brightness of heavy metals. massive Porites spp. Long term turbidity > 3NTU ◆ Portedaria cordata can measure distance from leads to sublethal stress and > 5NTU implies discharge site of copper and lead. severe stress. ◆ Eloderdensa can be used for mercury pollution ◆ Leeches are used as a sensor-bioindicator of river by observing chloroplast structure and their contamination of PCB's. Samples can be collected membranes. to measure PCB's levels. ◆ Elegrass is most widespread plant in temperate ◆ Oyster (Crassostrea gigas), crabs (Geotica coastal areas. It is a useful water quality indicator depressa) can show trace metal indication. Crab because water clarity regulates its extension (Holoecius cordiformis, a semaphore crab) can towards deeper water i.e. deep limit. Ecological indicate the presence of lead in Australian status is classified by relating the actual level of estuaries. bioindicator (reference level), reflecting a ◆ Brine shrimp, Artemia salina is used to estimate situation of limited anthropogenic influence. by its immobilization after 24 hours of ◆ Disappearance of root hairs and colouration of incubation. Shrimps Juvenile, P. setiferus, hydathodes in the juvenile of Limnan- Crangon septemspinosa and Palaemonates themum cristatum occurs due to high tissue vulgaris have shown cadmium sensitivity. chromium concentration. ◆ Dab (Limanda limanda) increase in malformation ◆ Wolffia globosa have also shown sensitivity for of embryo indicates DDT and PCB's pollution. cadmium and has potential to be used as ◆ Seabirds: Cory’s shearwater, Calonectric indicator of cadmium contamination. diomedea found in Mediterranean Sea has been ◆ Transgenic plants are also being designed as reported to show high concenterations of heavy bioindicators. metals, indicating sea water pollution. The

54 Uttar Pradesh State Biodiversity Board National Conference on Biodiversity, Development and Poverty Alleviation 22nd May , 2010

seabird red billed Larus novachollandiae ◆ are good indicators for hydrosphere scopuline is used to indicate mercury levels in contamination for PCB’s especially silverfish, New Zealand seas. tench in tissues. Tilopia nilotica can be used ◆ Earthworms: Allophora molleri and aquatic biota to indicate iron, manganese, nickel, lead, can be used for heavy metal pollution indicator. cadmium, zinc in different tissues with lethal Behavioural, sublethal and lethal tests can be effects and . applied to check concentration of 2,4,6- ◆ Mercury levels in stripped dolphins have been trinitrotoluene using earthworm Eisenia fetida. found to be present than any other water organism E. foetida has been shown to accumulate mercury ◆ Fishes can be suitable pollution indicators for and a positive correlation exists between mercury sewage nitrogen pollution. They use to integrate concentrations in worm tissues, the substrate N- inputs over long time period. Relevance to they consume and length of exposure. fish muscle ?-15N reflects movement of sewage ◆ Other benthic macro are also used nitrogen through . Fishes like trout, for example to access dissolved oxygen and blue-gilled sunfish, zebra fish and fathead ammonium in seawater which are two most minnow can also be employed as bioindicators. important water quality parameters inversely related to vertebrate scores example are mayfly Based on quality, water can be divided into nymphs, caddisfly larvae, water pennies and following groups: stonefly larvae which survive in swift cool and ◆ Class I water: It is clean, transparent and well oxygenated water supply. Their sampling odourless so it can be used as drinking water thus indicates good water supply. Blackfly larvae, after going through a simple purification process. leeches and aquatic worms are quiet tolerant to pollution. ◆ Class II water: It can be used for purposes like ◆ Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Plecoptera (stoneflies), bathing and swimming. Trichoptera (caddisflies) are flies which are ◆ Class III water: It is muddy water and can be pollution intolerant their higher percentage used for industrial purpose. related to tolerant species at site indicates better ◆ Class IV water: It is polluted and cannot be used, water quality. so even swimming in this water can cause skin ◆ Freshwater Mussels: Since they can live for troubles. decades, so their presence or absence indicates ◆ Class V water: It is highly polluted so no water quality example glochidia, pearlshell. The organisms can survive. filter feeding mussels are known to accumulate heavy metals in coastal water. The Mediterranean Detection and enumeration of bioindicators of water mussel (Mytilus galoprovincialis) is used to contamination monitor heavy metals using both metal More rapid and reliable tests for the presence of accumulation and response to certain enzymes microorganisms in water are the future area of thrust. to pollution. Although biotechnology-based tests currently exist for ◆ Down water pollution for example heavy metal drinking water, there are still many pollutants that and can be monitored on reproductive are not detectable. Scientists are busy trying to replace system of Astyanax fasciatus by comparison of time consuming, traditional methods with newer, mean oocytes, gonadal index and gonado-somatic faster, and more reliable tests based on biotechnology. relationship of specimens captured from polluted Thus bioindicators helps us in following way: and non-polluted sites which shows decrease in ◆ It indicates presence of contaminant. these parameters with increasing water pollution. ◆ It helps to identify mechanism of toxicity.

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Protecting the diversity is our moral and spiritual duty. The use and benefits from biodiversity and their application for alleviating poverty involves many actors, ranging from local communities, to exploiters, conservationists, researchers and various government and non-governmental agencies (Fig. 4). It is required to build effective partnerships among the above actors to achieve poverty alleviation through biodiversity use. Conflicts over polluted waters must be avoided. They harm people, food production, nature, the environ- ment, and sustainable development in general. Effective, efficient and equitable management of the available water is only achieved when all women, men and children are involved in making decisions on how to best share, supply and protect water and both get the knowledge to use simple bioindicators in nature to understand water quality. Project Fig. 4: Cycl ing of observation, information and inferences among different groups. components can then be planned to address the different needs, bringing in much-needed flexibility ◆ It provides early warning of impeding environ- to implementation. The links between gender, poverty mental damage. and water are easiest to identify when we look at domestic water use and sanitation practices. Gender ◆ It provides early indication of environment is a key variable when we look at economic activities. recovery/remediation. Sometimes local women support is required, to ◆ It is Important in linking stressor to ecologically empower them to take up leadership roles, but if relevant factors. provided with training by water experts and policy ◆ It can be incorporated into ecological risk makers, they will truly do good work. assessment.

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