Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The ecological competition and grazing reverse the effects of sulfamethoxazole on plankton: a case study on characterizing community-level effect

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The toxic effects of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) on densities of two algae, Platymonas helgolandica var. tsingtaoensis, Isochrysis galbana, and of a rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis, were tested by the population and community experiments. Two endpoints, the carrying capacity and the densities array of community in steady state (DACS), were used to characterize the toxic effects at a population level and a community one, respectively. The results showed that the carrying capacity of P. helgolandica var. tsingtaoensis and B. plicatilis did not decline significantly in population test when the concentration of SMX was lower than 6.0 mg L−1 and 12.0 mg L−1, respectively. However, I. galbana was sensitive to SMX and had presented toxic effect at 3.0 mg L−1. By extrapolation of toxic effect at a population level to a community one, a derived community-NOEC was 3.0 mg L−1, representing an inference from data of toxic effects at population level. In community experiment, when the customized community was in steady state, the density of I. galbana increased as a whole with SMX concentration in the range of tested concentration (0–144 mg L−1), while that of P. helgolandica var. tsingtaoensis assumed the trend of a reversed “v” in this range. Only the density of B. plicatilis decreased with SMX concentration. With the DACS as endpoint, a NOEC for the customized community was determined to be 6.0 mg L−1. This indicates that interspecific interactions can reverse the toxic effects of SMX on phytoplankton. The DACS was reliable and stable, serving as the endpoints in assessment of the effects of the pollutants on the ecosystems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • ASTM E1440-91 (2012) Standard guide for acute toxicity test with the rotifer Brachionus. ASTM International [S], West Conshohocken, PA www.astm.org

    Google Scholar 

  • Baran W, Sochacko J, Wardas W (2006) Toxicity and biodegradability of sulfonamides and products of their photocatalytic degradation in aqueous solutions. Chemosphere 65:1295–1299

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cabecinhas AS, Novais SC, Santos SC, Rodrigues ACM, Pestana JLT, Soares AM, Lemos MFL (2015) Sensitivity of the sea snail Gibbula umbilicalis to mercury exposure—linking endpoints from different biological organization levels. Chemosphere 119:490–497

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carpenter SR (1989) Replication and treatment strength in whole-lake experiments. Ecology 70(2):453–463

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen LX, Meng XZ, Jiao JJ (2009) Biodynamics. Science Press, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunnett CW (1955) A multiple comparison procedure for comparing several treatments with a control. J Amer Statist Assoc 50(12):1096–1121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunnett CW (1964) New tables for multiple comparison with a control. Biometrics 20:482–491

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eguchi K, Nagase H, Ozawa M, Endoh YS, Goto K, Hirata K, Miyamoto K, Yoshimura H (2004) Evaluation of antimicrobial agents for veterinary use in the ecotoxicity test using microalgae. Chemosphere 57:1733–1738

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fang K, Tang X, Zhang J, Wang Y (2013) Effects of different species and densities of marine bait microalgae on feeding of rotifer Brachionus plicatilis neonates. Mar Environ Sci 32(4):497–501

    Google Scholar 

  • Feng L (2006) Effects of UV-B radiation on experimental population dynamics and interspecific competition of two species of marine rotifers (B. plicatilis & B. urceus) [D]. Ocean University of China, Qingdao

    Google Scholar 

  • Feng C, Wu F, Zhao X, Li H, Chang H (2012) Water quality criteria research and progress. Sci China Earth Sci 5:646–656

    Google Scholar 

  • Feng CL, Zhao XL, Hou H, Huang W, Song J, Li H, Meng W, Wu F (2015) Research progress and main scientific problems of theory and methodology of China’s environmental quality criteria. Asian J Ecotoxicol 10(1):2–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Fu B, Yue L, Feng D, Li F, Yu H, Ge C (2015) Inhibitory effect of combined pollution of enrofloxacin and Cu on root and shoot elongation of cabbage and tomato. Asian J Ecotoxicol 10(5):157–163

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gao L, Shi Y, Li W, Liu J, Cai Y (2013) Environmental behavior and impacts of antibiotics. Environ Chem 32(9):1619–1633

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China (AQSIQ) (2008) GB/T 21805–2008, Chemicals—alga growth inhibition test [S]. Standards Press of China, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  • Isidori M, Lavorgna M, Nardelli A, Pascarella L, Parrella A (2005) Toxic and genotoxic evaluation of six antibiotics on non-target organisms. Sci Total Environ 346(1–3):87–98

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jin X, Wang Y, Jin W, Rao K, John P, Hollert G, Richardson K, Wang Z (2014) Ecological risk of nonylphenol in China surface waters based on reproductive fitness. Environmental Science & Technology 48(2):1256–1262

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Joakim Larsson DG (2014) Antibiotics in the environment. Ups J Med Sci 119(2):108–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laender FD, Schamphelaere KACD, Vanrolleghem PA, Janssen CR (2008) Comparison of different toxic effect sub-models in ecosystem modelling used for ecological effect assessments and water quality standard setting [J]. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 69:13–23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lananan F, Jusoh A, Ali N, Lam SS, Endut A (2013) Effect of Conway medium and f/2 medium on the growth of six genera of South China Sea marine microalgae. Bioresour Technol 141:75–82

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li Y (2008) Global asymptotic stability of the Lotka-Volterra mixed system for four species. J Hefei Univ Technol 31(9):1532–1534

    Google Scholar 

  • Li L, Zhu XM, Wu HY (2011) Feeding of rotifer Brachionus plicatilis enriched with microalgae [J]. Chin J Ecol 30(9):2019–2025

    Google Scholar 

  • Li YN, Gao X, An XL, Liu W, Li G, Hou J, Chen J (2013) Oxidation stress of sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) on Polychaete Tubifex. Asian J Ecotoxicol 8(4):595–601

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu J, Wang L, Liu J, Shi L, Chen W, Shen SA (2015) Microcosm study compared to the species sensitivity distribution approach: a case study with the copper ion. Asian J Ecotoxicol 10(4):34–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Ma S (2013) Toxicity of crude oil and four kinds of dispersants to P.helgolandica and N.closterium [D]. Ocean University of China, Qingdao

    Google Scholar 

  • Meng W, Yan ZG, Liu ZT (2009) Analysis of guideline s for deriving water quality criteria in the United States and construction of related criteria in China. Research of. Environ Sci 22(7):757–761

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Prado R, García R, Rioboo, Herrero C, Abalde J, Cid A (2009) Comparison of the sensitivity of different toxicity test endpoints in a microalga exposed to the herbicide paraquat. Environ Int 35(2):240–247

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Seth CS, Misra V, Chauhan LKS, Singh RR (2008) Genotoxicity of cadmium on root meristem cells of Allium cepa: cytogenetic and Comet assay approach. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 71(3):711–716

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Steele JH (1974) The structure of marine ecosystems [M]. Oxford. Blackwell Scientific Publication, London

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Su J (2011) Population growth and interspecific competition of marine microalgae and their response to enhanced Cd2+: a study based on flow cytometry. [D]. Ocean University of China, Qingdao

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun YY, Sun LQ, Wang CH (2005) Study on the growth of Isochrysis galbana. Mar Sci Bull 24(3):92–96

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang C, Li H, Wang X, Zhang Y (2011) Estimating toxic effect of copper on population of microalgae through a three-dimensional toxic effect growth model. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 86:576–582

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang C, Zhang Y, Li H, Xing W, Yu H (2015a) The effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on algae can be reversed in the presence of a primary consumer [J]. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination & Toxicology 95(3):344–349

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang CY, Liang S, Guo W, Yu H, Xing W (2015b) Pollutant threshold concentration determination in marine ecosystems using an ecological interaction endpoint. Environ Pollut 204:215–222

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang C, Su R, Zhang Y, Liu G (2016) A method linking the toxic effects at community-level with contaminant concentrations. Sci Total Environ 569–570:352–360

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang C, Wang Z, Yong Z, Su R (2017) Interspecies interactions reverse the hazard of antibiotics exposure: a plankton community study on responses to ciprofloxacin hydrochloride [J]. Sci Rep 7(1):1–8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-02593-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu D (2008) Combined effect of interspecies, feeding and UV-B stress on experimental population dynamics of Skeletonema costatum [D]. Ocean University of China, Qingdao

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu J, Wang N, Kong DY, Kong X, Shan Z (2015) Bioconcentration of sulfonamide antibiotics in zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio) and model prediction assessment. Asian J Ecotoxicol 10(5):82–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang X, Lu G, Liu J, Yan Z (2013) Multigenerational chronic effects of pharmaceuticals on Daphnia magna at environmentally relevant concentrations. China Environ Sci 33(3):538–545

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Q, Xin Q, Zhu J, Cheng J (2014) The antibiotic contaminations in the main water bodies in China and the associated environmental and human health impacts. Environ Chem 33(7):1075–1083

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao L, Wang D, Yin P, Li Q, Wu N (2012) Tolerance of two red-tide algae to sulfadiazine and sulfamethoxazole. Mar Environ Sci 31:6–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao X, Zhao T, Li H, Huo S, Xu J, Feng C, Xu Y, Duan X, Wang T, Hou H, Meng W, Wu F (2015) Investigation on important directions of China environmental quality criteria. Asian J Ecotoxicol 10(1):18–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou WL (2005) The studies on ingestion, reproduction and population dynamics of Brachionus plicatilis [D]. Ocean University of China, Qingdao

    Google Scholar 

  • Zou S, Xu W, Zhang R, Tang J, Chen Y, Zhang G (2011) Occurrence and distribution of antibiotics in coastal water of the Bohai Bay, China: impacts of river discharge and aquaculture activities. Environ Pollut 159(10):2913–2920

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program, China (Project No. 2016YFC1402101), the State Scholarship for study abroad, China (No. 201704180038), and the government Scholarship from Jiangsu Province, China for study abroad, the Fundamental Research Funds of Shandong University and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Marine Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, People’s Republic of China

    Changyou Wang

  2. Jiangsu Research Center for Ocean Survey Technology, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China

    Changyou Wang

  3. Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Qingdao, 266100, People’s Republic of China

    Shengkang Liang

  4. Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China

    Yong Zhang

Authors
  1. Changyou Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shengkang Liang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yong Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Changyou Wang.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, C., Liang, S. & Zhang, Y. The ecological competition and grazing reverse the effects of sulfamethoxazole on plankton: a case study on characterizing community-level effect. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 17283–17288 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-1901-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-1901-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation