Relationship between natural extinction of Oncomelania hupensis snails and water chemical properties in Eastern Dongting Lake areas

Abstract

To investigate the reasons of natural extinction of Oncomelania hupensis snails by comparing the difference of the water chemical properties between the snail-breeding marshland and non-snail marshland in Eastern Dongting Lake areas. Three adjoining marshlands in Eastern Dongting Lake areas were selected, one was a snail-breeding marshland, the second was a non-snail marshland, and the third was a boundary zone between them. During the periods of water-rising season, wet season and water-falling season, the water samples from the bottom of 0.5 m were collected by the systematic random sampling method (200 m × 200 m grid method). In addition, the water samples below the surface of 0.5 m were also collected in the wet season. The physicochemical indexes of the sampling water were detected. According to the Surface Water Environmental Quality Standard (GB 3838-2002), the water quality indicators which were less than the detection limit were Cr, Cd, Zn, Hg, Cu, S－ and CN－ during the three sampling seasons. The pollutants which were slightly higher than Grade III but lower than Grade IV (Hg ≤ 1 μg/L, TP ≤ 0.1 mg/L) were Hg and TP. The pollutants below the Grade III included As and F－. The temperature and pH values were within the Grade III. The oxygen consumption indicators covering DO, COD and BOD in the water-rising season and wet season were within the Grade III, while the value of BOD was beyond the scope of Grade III but was between Grade Ⅳ (≤ 6 mg/L) and Grade V (≤ 10 mg/L) in the water-falling season. The differences of the water pollution indexes between the snail-breeding marshland and non-snail marshland were statistically significant, and these indexes included F－, As and pH in the water-rising season (P < 0.05); pH, BOD and Fat the surface layer in the wet season (P < 0.05); F－ at the bottom in the wet season (P < 0.05); TP and F－ in the water-falling season. Moreover, the above-mentioned indexes in the non-snail marshland of Qianliang Lake were higher than those in the snail-breeding marshland of Junshan Park. Thus, F－ was the only index which had statistical differences in every sampling season, and the concentration of F－ at the non-snail marshland was also higher than that at the snail-breeding marshland. In the water-rising season, the pH value at the non-snail marshland exceeded the suitable range for the growth of snails (6.8 to 7.8). In the Eastern Dongting Lake area, the high concentration of F－ and pH of water may be responsible for the natural extinction of O. hupensis snails.