Anzali International Wetland Research Articles

Ecological risk assessment of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, Zn, Fe) and metalloid (As) in surface sediment of Anzali International Wetland, Iran

ABSTRACT This study aimed to assess the metal concentration, mobility, bioavailability, ecological risk, and toxicity in the surface sediment of Anzali International Wetland. Contamination and ecological risk were evaluated using parameters such as Global Contamination Factors (GCF), Risk Assessment Code (RAC), Toxic Unit (TU), sum of Toxic Units (ΣTUs), Toxic Risk Index (TRI), ecological risk (ER), Risk Index (RI), and modified Hazard Quotients (MHQ). Heavy metal mean concentrations (mean ± SD) ranked as follows: Zn (95.46 ± 20.71) > Cr (19.79 ± 2.79) > Ni (18.49 ± 5.23) > Pb (13.97 ± 3.20) > As (6.45 ± 1.87) > Cd (0.90 ± 0.34). Cd exhibited high mobility and bioavailability, while Cr, Pb, Zn, Ni, and As mainly existed in residual fractions, indicating low bioavailability and minimal ecological risk. Ecological risk assessment identified “moderate” to “considerable” risk potential for Cd at specific sites. The Risk Index categorized Anzali sediment as having “low” to “moderate” risk potential (150 < RI < 300). Values of RI, ΣTUs, and MHQ suggested low to moderate risk potential and low toxicity in the sediment. Global Contamination Factor (GCF) values indicated high contamination (12.53 to 79.11). Recommendations include installing effective sewage treatment plants and promoting proper agricultural practices to mitigate metal toxicity in Anzali Wetland and also protect human and environmental health.

Detection and Mapping of Water Hyacinth Growth Cycle in Anzali International Wetland Using Sentinel-2 Time Series

Detection and Mapping of Water Hyacinth Growth Cycle in Anzali International Wetland Using Sentinel-2 Time Series

Assessment of wetland landscape changes based on landscape metrics and trophic state index (case study: Anzali International Wetland).

Wetlands play an important role in conserving biodiversity, the hydrosphere's equilibrium, and the maintenance of daily livelihood; therefore, the trophic process hastens the succession procedure in them, resulting in structural changes in the landscape. The study aimed to monitor and investigate the impact of the trophic procedure on landscape structural changes in Anzali Wetland, specifically domains related to vegetation canopy and water bodies, over 24 years. The TSI (trophic state index) of the Anzali Wetland, a vital habitat in the south of the Caspian Sea, was estimated by using the Carlson TSI for 1994, 2002, 2014, and 2018. Based on satellite data for these years, the structural landscape changes were also measured using metrics such as the number of patches (NumP), class area (CA), mean patch size (MPS), and mean shape index (MSI) of the measured patch using in Patch Analyst. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient was then used to calculate the correlation between the two variables of trophic index modifications and landscape metrics. Results showed that the TSI of the wetland touched 59.51 in 1994 and then reached 65.10 in 2018. Its water body area, which was 5283.90 ha in 1994, decreased to 4183.92 ha in 2018, indicating the greatest decrease in the area from 2002 to 2018. In addition, the maximum area of vegetation canopy in 2018 was 11696.31 ha. The trophic exhibited a positive correlation of 0.8 with the area of the vegetation canopy and a positive correlation of 0.4 with the NumP of the vegetation canopy. It also had an inverse correlation of -0.4 with the area and NumP of the water body. Based on the study findings, changes in the trophic level of Anzali Wetland can be regarded as a direct factor influencing the vegetation canopy and water body.

THE FIRST FLUSH ANALYSIS OF STORMWATER RUNOFF IN A HUMID CLIMATE

This study focuses on the pollutants from urban runoff to Zarjoob River, which is one of the rivers leading to Anzali International Wetland, which was listed in the Montreux Record in 1993 as a site in need of priority conservation. Storm water runoff from a residential area in Rasht (the largest city on Iran’s Caspian Sea coast) was monitored in this study during thirteen rainfall events, with a total of 58 storm runoff samples collected from 2018 to 2019. In most rainfall events, the mean concentration of total suspended solids (TSS) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were higher than the other pollutants. The event mean concentrations (EMC) of TSS loads ranged from 57.3 mg/L to 682.5 mg/L and from 46.7 mg/L to 590.4 mg/L for COD. The site mean concentrations (SMC) for TSS, COD, total phosphorus (Total P), nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N), and total lead (Pb) were 219, 205, 1.91, 20.63, and 0.25 mg/L, respectively. The first flush coefficient (b) was used to evaluate the first flushing of various events. The results of the study confirmed that the first flush occurred in all events, and the average ranking of first flush strength among the pollutants was COD &gt; NO3-N &gt; TP &gt; Pb &gt; TSS. Controlling one-third of the initial runoff volume appeared to be critical for managing the quality of urban rivers in humid regions. The findings of this study can be applied to urban runoff management strategies in cities with similar climatic conditions.

Trace elements in the muscle tissue of Hemiculter leucisculus and Abramis brama orientalis from the Anzali International wetland, south-west of Caspian Sea: An exposure risk assessment

High levels of trace elements in aquatic environments can affect the quality of seafood. We analyzed the concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Hg, Mn, Ni and Pb, in the edible muscles of Hemiculter leucisculus and A. brama orientalis caught in four different areas of southwest of the Caspian Sea. We estimated the potential risks for human health deriving by the oral consumption of these two species, and the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) according to the US-EPA approach. THQ by adults and children was always below 1 for all stations. The greater contribution was given by Co, followed by Cd, Hg, Pb, Ni, As and Mn. Total-THQ was 0.538 and 0.246 for children and adults, respectively. Trace elements detected by our study were not elevated, highlighting a positive picture of the studied area and a lower risk of developing chronic systemic effects deriving from the consumption of local fish products.

Biodegradation of DEHP by a new native consortium An6 (Gordonia sp. and Pseudomonas sp.) adapted with phthalates, isolated from a natural strongly polluted wetland

Considering the high concentration of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in Anzali international wetland, up to 40 times higher than the environmental risk limit, the aim of this study was to obtain an effective consortium and native bacteria in the degradation of diethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP) from sediments of this ecosystem. For this purpose, sediments of 9 stations of Anzali wetland were enriched with PAEs in waterlogged conditions at 30 °C. The results showed that the consortium An6 (containing two cultivable bacteria with phthalate degradation ability, Pseudomonas putida strain ShA (MN298858), and Gordonia alkanivorans strain Sh6 (MK460262.1)) could biodegrade 100, 100, 90.57, and 58.73% of a mixture of DMP, DEP, DBP, and DEHP at high concentration (2000 mg/L each), respectively. The separate DEHP biodegradation by the above consortium showed that it could degrade 97% of 500 mg/L of DEHP in less than 3 days. Additionally, phthalic acid (PA) and monoethyl hexyl phthalate (MEHP) as intermediate products of DEHP biodegradation were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. Phthalate consumption patterns of strains ShA and Sh6 indicate that there is a possible complementary effect among these bacteria in PAEs biodegradation. The ability of consortium An6 belonging to the most polluted area (20–43 mg/Kg DEHP) of this wetland to degrade DEHP could be caused by the exposure of the microbial community of this area to PAEs over time that gives rise to a possible adaptation. Based on the findings, consortium An6 (with novel composition) and isolated bacteria can be suggested for the efficient remediating of PAEs in the different ecosystems. • Anzali international wetland has biopotential to self-purification of high concentration of phthalates. • The microbial community of the most polluted area of the lagoon has become more compatible with PAEs and is more efficient in phthalates degradation. • The consortium An6 could degrade phthalates at 2000 mg/L in waterlogged conditions. • Gordonia alkanivorans and Pseudomonas putida together cover the biodegradation of a broader spectrum of different PAEs. • Consortium An6 efficiently degraded 500 mg/L of DEHP in less than 3 days.

Anaerobic biodegradation of phthalic acid by an indigenous Ralstonia pickettii strain SHAn2 isolated from Anzali international wetland

Anaerobic biodegradation of phthalic acid by an indigenous Ralstonia pickettii strain SHAn2 isolated from Anzali international wetland

Uptake and accumulation of heavy metals by water body and Azolla filiculoides in the Anzali wetland

The Anzali international wetland is a valuable habitat to a wide variety of aquatic flora and fauna. This wetland ecosystem is being threatened due to various pollutants particularly the heavy metals discharging from different point and non-point sources. Concentration of various heavy metals (Cr, Pb, Hg, Cu, Zn, Cd, Ag and Ti) was examined in the water body and Azolla filiculoides (an exotic fern in the Anzali wetland). The samples regarding water and A. filiculoides were randomly carried out in three parts of the wetland (eastern, central and western parts) in May 2015. After preparing and digesting the samples, the concentration of the heavy metals was measured using ICP OES method. The obtained results showed that the concentration of Zn in water and A. filiculoides samples was higher than other heavy meals in all parts of the wetland (p < 0.05). Overall, concentration of the heavy metals was significantly higher in the eastern part of the wetland than other two sampling locations (p < 0.05). Also with comparing the concentration of the heavy metals in water and A. filiculoides, it was found that all examined metals (except Cd and Ag) in A. filiculoides had significantly higher concentration than water sample, while Cd and Ag in water and A. filiculoides did not have a significant difference with each other. Based on the results, it can be concluded that A. filiculoides can effectively absorb Cr, Pb, Zn, Hg, Cu, Cd, Ag and Ti so that it might be used as a valuable species for the bioremediation and the removal of heavy metals from the wetland.

Role of participatory management in water health quality of the Anzali International Wetland, Iran

This study aimed to investigate water quality and identification, prioritization and network analysis of the stakeholders of the Anzali International Wetland, Iran. In the wetland watershed, a wide range of stakeholders benefit from ecosystem services and, with regard to the activities they carry out, affect the functions of the wetland in the lower part of the watershed. The different stakeholders were identified and categorized according to the different parameters including power, interest, co-stakeholder, and interaction. Finally, the linkage between the stakeholders was investigated using network analysis (Gephi software). To determinate water quality, the content of Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Temperature, Turbidity and Electrical Conductivity (EC) were measured in-situ while number of Fecal Coliform, amount of Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Phosphate and Nitrate were measured at laboratory in 4 sites from Dec2018 to Feb2020 monthly. The results of the parameters and water quality index indicated relatively high pollution in the watershed. PirBazar station, the most important source of water providing for the wetland, polluted much higher than others. The role of local communities, the participation of stakeholders and their awareness in the protection and rehabilitation of the wetland is very effective. The identification process led to 39 stakeholders categorized into five groups, with government sectors having the highest number of stakeholders. Weighted out degree showed many stakeholders that directly use wetland services such as the local people were placed in low-power categories whose importance was determined by closeness and betweenness criteria. Based on the stakeholders’ attributes in the study, the most important and influential stakeholders can be used by the related managers for decision-making and improving of water health quality.

Applying remote sensing techniques to changes of water body and aquatic plants in Anzali International Wetland (1985-2018)

Applying remote sensing techniques to changes of water body and aquatic plants in Anzali International Wetland (1985-2018)

Mapping Changes of Water Quality Parameters Pattern in Anzali International Wetland Using Remote Sensing

Mapping Changes of Water Quality Parameters Pattern in Anzali International Wetland Using Remote Sensing

River health assessment using macroinvertebrates and water quality parameters: A case of the Shanbeh-Bazar River, Anzali Wetland, Iran

The study of benthic macroinvertebrate communities is one of the most common methods for assessing the effects of stresses on the biological conditions of aquatic ecosystems and water quality monitoring. This research was conducted to study the changes in the macroinvertebrate communities in the Shanbeh-Bazar River, Anzali International wetland and the effects of environmental factors. Sampling was done seasonally from spring to winter in 2017 from the. Bio-indicators, MDS, PCA, correlation and ANOSIM were used in this study. A total of 3963 macroinvertebrate belonging to 3 phyla, 9 orders of 17 families were identified. The two families of Chironomidae and Tubificidae were the most abundant, and the dominant group of the Shanbeh-Bazar River. The bio-indicators analysis varied from medium pollution to heavy pollution at different stations. MDS plot showed that sampling stations were clearly separated into 3 groups. ANOSIM and PCA analysis were shown that the human activities and urban wastewater effects on benthic communities such as increasing the resistant families (Tubificidae). The increasing of agricultural activities and the destruction of marginal forests at Stations 3 and 4 were caused the abundance of Chironomidae and Tubificidae increased. Since the Shanbeh-Bazar River has urban disturbance, especially wastewater inputs, agriculture, fishing and recreational boats, macroinvertebrate diversity decreased with increasing contaminants and stresses, led to an increase in resistant species. With the increase of agricultural and the destruction of marginal forests, the amount of organic matter increased in the water body. Anthropogenic activities are indicated to have the most negative effects on the river ecosystem. Thus, it was concluded that the river health of Shanbeh-Bazar River is within unacceptable range.

Risk assessment of the potential invasiveness of Coptodon zillii (Gervais, 1848) in Anzali Wetland using AS-ISK Model

Introduction: The intentional and unintentional introduction of non-native fish species to the aquatic ecosystems of Iran has occurred with purposes such as enhancing aquaculture, ornamentation, biological control, and research. Some of them cause or have the potential to cause, significant environmental and socio-economic impacts on aquatic ecosystems and/or fish farms. The eradication of non-native fishes is impossible or very costly, especially in large areas. Screening and identifying the potential invasiveness of species are being increasingly used all over the world. The main aim of the present research was to assess the potential invasiveness of redbelly Tilapia Coptodon zillii in Anzali international wetland. Material and methods: Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit (AS-ISK) was used to identify redbelly Tilapia Coptodon zillii as a non-native fish that may pose a high potential risk of becoming invasion in Anzali Wetland. The model is able to discriminate between invasive and non-invasive aquatic organisms including non-native fishes by risk area-related threshold value. Also, the Köppen-Geiger climate system and Climatch software were used to match the climate between the native range of redbelly Tilapia and Anzali Wetland. The projected future climate change scenario was taken from relevant studies to carry out Climate Change Assessment (CCA) of the AS-ISK. Results and discussion: The output of the AS-ISK was 44 for redbelly Tilapia that was higher than the AS-ISK threshold value of the risk assessment area, which meant that the species pose a potential risk of becoming invasive in Anzali wetland. There was a high climate-mating between the native range of redbelly Tilapia and the assessed area when the Köppen-Geiger climate system was used. At least one native habitat of redbelly Tilapia in the system was in the same climate category as the studied area. Also, the Climatch model output was 0.87 that shows a high climate matching for the non-native fish. The CCA had an increasing effect on the total score of the AS-ISK. The factors that increased the AS-ISK score were climate-mating, probable climate change, biological attributes, and invasiveness history of other places that the species was introduced. The comparison of the results of this study and other relevant studies that used AS-ISK to assess potential invasiveness of redbelly Tilapia showed that the species had the potential of becoming an invader in Anzali Wetland as well as some other areas around the country. Conclusion: While non-native fishes are frequently used to enhance aquaculture in the country, a rapid assessment tool is required to avoid nuisance environmental impacts. The AS-ISK can be reliably used as a tool to predict the potential risk of becoming invasive in Anzali Wetland and elsewhere to be used by conservation managers, decision-makers, and policymakers in the aquaculture development plans.

Quantitative assessment of land use/land cover changes on the value of ecosystem services in the coastal landscape of Anzali International Wetland.

This study, using remote sensing techniques and GIS, studied the land use land cover (LULC) changes of Anzali International Wetland from 1975 to 2013, and the effects of these changes on the ES (ecosystem service) values of the wetland. The benefit transfer method was used to estimate the economic value of the ecosystem goods and services. The basis for the valuations was the values provided for the ES of the world biomes. According to the results, in the period of study (1975 to 2013), the highest percentage of incremental change was attributed to urban and manmade centers (73.85%), while the lowest was related to the wetland coverage area (0.32%). Value changes between 1975 and 1975 for agricultural lands were positive and equal to US$ 12.85 million and for the rangelands were negative and equal to US$ - 26.84 million. These changes were positive for the coastal wetlands, equivalent to US$ 258.95 million a year. Despite the negative value changes of the rangelands, the total ES value changes in the entire wetland during the years 1975 to 2013 were evaluated to be positive (equal to US$ 244.96 million). Changes in the value of the services of pollination, biological control, genetic resources, and food production in 2013 were negative, compared to 1975. This indicates the loss of these values, which is due to the loss of rangelands in the study area. The findings of this study can inform policymakers, managers, and environmental planners about the continuation of the changing process and may lead to the formulation of policies for the sustainable exploitation of land resources, as well as future effective land use planning for achieving the goals of sustainable development in the study area. The findings can serve as a tool for raising awareness about the contribution of nature to the benefits, social welfare, and livelihood of the stakeholders.

Effects of chronic lead and cadmium exposure on the oriental river prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense) in laboratory conditions

During the past decade, the total population and overall reproductive performance of the oriental river prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense) in the Anzali international wetland and its basin rivers has been severely reduced. This seems to be caused by an increase in heavy metal pollution from industrial wastewaters. We investigated the effects of chronic levels of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) on reproductive success, hemato-immunology, crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (cHH), Pb/Cd bioaccumulation and histopathology of hepatopancreas of oriental river prawn. The present study was separately carried out using four chronic treatments for Pb (0 (control), 0.024, 0.072 and 0.12 μM/l) and Cd (0 (control), 0.026, 0.053 and 0.08 μM/l) in experimental tanks during 60 days. The broodstock were fed by commercial shrimp diet, ad libitum, twice a day. The results revealed that reproductive activities ceased when Pb levels were 0.072 and 0.12 μM/l and also when Cd levels reached 0.08 μM/l. At 0.024 μM/l Pb, 0.026 and 0.053 μM/l Cd, the prawns showed initial reproductive activity but after spawning, the egg-clutches were found detached from the pleopods of the brood females. Hemato-immunology results showed that by increasing the Pb and Cd concentrations, large granular hemocyte (LGH) and cHH values also increased. However, small granular hemocyte (SGH) count was inversely affected. A significant increase in mortality (P < 0.05) was observed as both Pb and Cd concentrations increased. Histological observations are indicative of increased necrosis, lumen size, melanization, vacuolation and abnormal lumen shape, as the heavy metals concentrations increased. In conclusion, obtained results can help to elucidate effects of Pb and Cd on freshwater decapod crustaceans reproductive performance and related physiological parameters.

A bankruptcy method for pollution load reallocation in river systems

Abstract This study forms the basis and sets practical guidelines for developing river water quality management strategies for resolving conflicts related to the allocation of pollution discharge permits using bankruptcy methods. This approach was implemented by changing the concepts and considering the river self-purification potential (capacity) as an asset which is to be shared among various beneficiaries. The beneficiaries are the point sources which release their wastewater to the river with minimum treatment costs. Four commonly used bankruptcy methods in the water resources allocation literature are used here to develop new river bankruptcy solution methods for allocating pollution share to the riparian parties of river systems. For this purpose, the Qual2 K river water quality simulation model is integrated with a particle swarm optimization (PSO) model while various pollution loadings discharge policies have been determined based on the bankruptcy method. This method was employed in one of the most polluted rivers of northern Iran, which is the source of eutrophication for Anzali International Wetland. The results show that the application of this method could facilitate the conflict resolution among different beneficiaries in order to improve the conditions of river water quality.

Study of Zooplankton Species Structure and Dominance in Anzali International Wetland

Anzali International wetland is one of the most important places for various organisms such as fishes. Zooplankton are the first consumers in the ecosystem, and they are perfect food for the larvae of fishes. The present study conducted monthly during January 2012 to December 2013 in 9 different stations with zooplankton population and chemical characteristics analysis such as water temperature ranged from 10°C - 22°C, pH determined alkaline nature of the wetland ranged from 7.05 to 9.47, dissolved oxygen was recorded in the range of 3.36 mg/l to 10.51 mg/l, nitrate was ranged between 0.48 - 4.36 mg/l, total phosphates was between 0.15 - 0.67 mg/l, salinity was recorded between 220 - 692 mg/l, TDS was determined between 246 - 1971 mg/l, BOD and COD was also recorded 2 - 36 mg/l and 4 - 74 mg/l respectively. Total 61 zooplankton species were found belonging to 4 groups: Protozoa (22 sp.), Rotatoria (29 sp.), Copepoda (5 sp.) and Cladocera (4 sp.). Rotatoria were found dominating other groups of zooplankton. Kruskal Wallis test showed that there was significant difference between density of zooplankton in different stations, months and seasons (P ≤ 0.05) and significant differences were found between densities of different zooplankton phylum (P ≤ 0.05). The water body is continuously receiving domestic discharge leading to large amount of nutrient inputs and high amount of phosphate and nitrate in the water body indicates that water is eutrophic in nature.

Dietary Segregation of Four Ardeid Species Breeding in Anzali International Wetland, Northern Iran

Abstract. The nestling diets of four heron species breeding on a small forestry islet in Anzali, Iran, were investigated to determine the dietary segregation among sympatric breeders. Regurgitated samples from Black-crowned Night-Herons (Nycticorax nycticorax), Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta), Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis) and Squacco Herons (Ardeola ralloides) were collected during the breeding season from 23 May to 16 August 2016. A total of 1,606 prey items were identified representing 39 prey categories from nine different classes. Differences were detected among these four ardeid species for the percentage of each prey category. Fish dominated the regurgitates of the Blackcrowned Night-Heron (67%; n = 43 samples), Little Egret (45%; n = 33 samples) and Squacco Heron (53%; n = 10 samples), whereas arachnids and insects combined (53% and 40%, respectively, based on total number of individuals) and insects (61.9% based on weight) were the most common prey items for the Cattle Egret. Although fish items...

Multivariate analysis and geochemical approach for assessment of metal pollution state in sediment cores.

Vertical distribution of metals (Cu, Zn, Cr, Fe, Mn, Pb, Ni, Cd, and Li) in four sediment core samples (C1, C2, C3, and C4) from Anzali international wetland located southwest of the Caspian Sea was examined. Background concentration of each metal was calculated according to different statistical approaches. The results of multivariate statistical analysis showed that Fe and Mn might have significant role in the fate of Ni and Zn in sediment core samples. Different sediment quality indexes were utilized to assess metal pollution in sediment cores. Moreover, a new sediment quality index named aggregative toxicity index (ATI) based on sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) was developed to assess the degree of metal toxicity in an aggregative manner. The increasing pattern of metal pollution and their toxicity degree in upper layers of core samples indicated increasing effects of anthropogenic sources in the study area.

Influence of Physico-Chemical Factors, Zooplankton Species Biodiversity and Seasonal Abundance in Anzali International Wetland, Iran

Anzali International wetland is located in the south coast of the Caspian Sea. Physicochemical analysis and zooplankton survey of the wetland were carried out on monthly basis for the period of one year from January 2012 to December 2013 at 9 different stations of Anzali wetland and its related channel to the Caspian Sea. Water temperature of the wetland followed more or less similar trend as that of air temperature. pH determined alkaline nature of the wetland ranging between 7.05 to 9.47, dissolved oxygen was recorded in the range of 3.36 mg/l to 10.51 mg/l while other parameters recorded were water temperature (10 to 23 C), Nitrate (0.48 to 4.36 mg/l), Total Phosphates (0.15 to 0.67 mg/l), Salinity (220 to 692 mg/l), Electrical Conductivity (235 to 1369 μs/cm), TDS (246 to 1971 mg/l), BOD (2 to 36 mg/l) and COD (4 to 74 mg/l). During study period, total 60 species of zooplankton were identified in four main groups such as Protozoa (22 sp.), Rotifera (29 sp.), Copepoda (5 sp.) and Cladocera (4 sp.). The highest numbers of zooplankton were recorded in summer months and lowest in winter which is the second rainy season of this area. The water body is receiving domestic discharge, agricultural run-off and industrial wastes leading to large amount of nutrient inputs to the ecosystem which indicates the eutrophic statue of the wetland. The aim of present study was to investigate the interrelationship between physicochemical factors and zooplankton population in context of their seasonal abundance.