A1 Journal article (refereed)
Assessment of Fish Embryo Survival and Growth by In Situ Incubation in Acidic Boreal Streams Undergoing Biomining Effluents (2019)

Arola, H., Karjalainen, A., Syrjänen, J., Hannula, M., Väisänen, A., & Karjalainen, J. (2019). Assessment of Fish Embryo Survival and Growth by In Situ Incubation in Acidic Boreal Streams Undergoing Biomining Effluents. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 76(1), 51-65. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-018-0558-2

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Arola, Hanna; Karjalainen, Anna; Syrjänen, Jukka; Hannula, Maija; Väisänen, Ari; Karjalainen, Juha

Journal or series: Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology

ISSN: 0090-4341

eISSN: 1432-0703

Publication year: 2019

Volume: 76

Issue number: 1

Pages range: 51-65

Publisher: Springer New York LLC

Publication country: United States

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-018-0558-2

Publication open access: Not open

Publication channel open access:

Abstract

The applicability of an in situ incubation method in monitoring the effects of metal mining on early life stages of fish was evaluated by investigating the impacts of a biomining technology utilizing mine on the mortality, growth, and yolk consumption of brown trout (Salmo trutta) and whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) embryos. Newly fertilized eggs were incubated from autumn 2014 to spring 2015 in six streams under the influence of the mine located in North-Eastern Finland and in six reference streams. Although the impacted streams clearly had elevated concentrations of several metals and sulfate, the embryonic mortality of the two species did not differ between the impacted and the reference streams. Instead, particle accumulation to some cylinders had a significant impact on the embryonic mortality of both species. In clean cylinders, mortality was higher in streams with lower minimum pH. However, low pH levels were evident in both the reference and the mine-impacted groups. The embryonic growth of neither species was impacted by the mining activities, and the growth and yolk consumption of the embryos was mainly regulated by water temperature. Surprisingly, whitefish embryos incubated in streams with lower minimum pH had larger body size. In general, the applied in situ method is applicable in boreal streams for environmental assessment and monitoring, although in our study, we did not observe a specific mining impact differing from the effects of other environmental factors related to catchment characteristics.

Keywords: survival; water pollution; mine water; bioleaching; embryogenesis

Free keywords: fish embryo; biomining effluents

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Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2019

JUFO rating: 1