Abstract
The purpose of this study was to combine all available information on the state of Lake Pertusillo (Basilicata, Italy), both in the field and published, which included Sentinel-2A satellite data, to understand algal blooms in a lacustrine environment impacted by petroleum hydrocarbons. Sentinel-2A data was retrospectively used to monitor the state of the lake, which is located near the largest land-based oil extraction plant in Europe, with particular attention to chlorophyll a during algal blooms and petroleum hydrocarbons. In winter 2017, a massive dinoflagellate bloom (10.4 × 106 cell/L) of Peridinium umbonatum and a simultaneous presence of hydrocarbons were observed at the lake surface. Furthermore, a recent study using metagenomic analyses carried out three months later identified a hydrocarbonoclastic microbial community specialized in the degradation aromatic and nitroaromatic hydrocarbons. In this study, Sentinel-2A imagery was able to detect the presence of chlorophyll a in the waters, while successfully distinguishing the signal from that of hydrocarbons. Remotely sensed results confirmed surface reference measurements of lacustrine phytoplankton, chlorophyll a, and the presence of hydrocarbons during algal blooms, thereby explaining the presence of the hydrocarbonoclastic microbial community found in the lake three months after the oil spill event. The combination of emerging methodologies such as satellite systems and metagenomics represent an important support methodology for describing complex contaminations in diverse ecosystems.
Highlights
Introduction published maps and institutional affilMixed contamination of inland waters is a new risk increasingly found in field investigation and monitoring [1,2], where detection of mixed contaminants complicates comprehensive human risk assessment and timely implementation of countermeasures.While most traditional risk assessment methods assume that components of a toxic mixture adhere to the concentration addition model to predict the degree of toxicity by the sum of the individual component toxicities [3,4,5,6], studies showed that interactions can occur altering the total toxicity, making it lower or higher than expected [7,8]
The ARPA data refer to characterization of the dinoflagellate community of algal bloom found in the lake
Included data refers to dinoflagellate cells and chlorophyll a detected at the surface
Summary
Introduction published maps and institutional affilMixed contamination of inland waters is a new risk increasingly found in field investigation and monitoring [1,2], where detection of mixed contaminants complicates comprehensive human risk assessment and timely implementation of countermeasures.While most traditional risk assessment methods assume that components of a toxic mixture adhere to the concentration addition model to predict the degree of toxicity by the sum of the individual component toxicities [3,4,5,6], studies showed that interactions can occur altering the total toxicity, making it lower or higher than expected [7,8]. Mixed contamination of inland waters is a new risk increasingly found in field investigation and monitoring [1,2], where detection of mixed contaminants complicates comprehensive human risk assessment and timely implementation of countermeasures. While most traditional risk assessment methods assume that components of a toxic mixture adhere to the concentration addition model to predict the degree of toxicity by the sum of the individual component toxicities [3,4,5,6], studies showed that interactions can occur altering the total toxicity, making it lower or higher than expected [7,8]. Effects of mixtures in the aquatic environment may even facilitate the overcoming of toxic organisms and stimulate their iations.
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