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Potential risk of biochar-amended soil to aquatic systems: an evaluation based on aquatic bioassays

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Abstract

It is vital to address potential risks to aquatic ecosystems exposed to runoff and leachates from biochar-amended soils, before large scale applications can be considered. So far, there are no established approaches for such an assessment. This study used a battery of bioassays and representative aquatic organisms for assessing the acute toxicity of water-extractable fractions of biochar-amended soil, at reported application rates (80 t ha−1). Biochar-amended aqueous soil extracts contained cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg) (Σmetals 96.3 µg l−1) as well as the 16 priority PAHs defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Σ16PAHs 106 ng l−1) at contents in the range of current EU regulations for surface waters. Nevertheless, acute exposure to soil-biochar (SB) extracts resulted in species-specific effects and dose–response patterns. While the bioluminescent marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri was the most sensitive organism to aqueous SB extracts, there were no effects on the growth of the microalgae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata. In contrast, up to 20 and 25 % mobility impairment was obtained for the invertebrate Daphnia magna upon exposure to 50 and 100 % SB extract concentrations (respectively). Results suggest that a battery of rapid and cost-effective aquatic bioassays that account for ecological representation can complement analytical characterization of biochar-amended soils and risk assessment approaches for surface and groundwater protection.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by European Funds through COMPETE and National Funds through the Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT), within Projects PEst-C/MAR/LA0017/2013, FUTRICA—Chemical Flow in an Aquatic TRophic Chain (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-008600; Ref. FCT PTDC/AAC-AMB/104666/2008), which included a Postdoctoral Grant to Ana Catarina Bastos, as well as the FCT-funded Postdoctoral fellowship of Nelson Abrantes (SFRH/BPD/35665/2007). The authors further wish to acknowledge the European Commission through the Erasmus Mundus Program, for the Masters scholarship of Marija Prodana. Amadeu M.V.M. Soares is ‘Bolsista CAPES/BRASIL’, Project No. A058/2013.

Conflict of interests

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors declare that the experiments comply with the current laws of the country in which they were performed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology & CESAM (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies), University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal

    A. C. Bastos, M. Prodana, A. M. V. M. Soares & S. Loureiro

  2. Department of Environment and Planning & CESAM, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal

    N. Abrantes & J. J. Keizer

  3. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Produção Vegetal, Universidade Federal do Tocantins, Campus de Gurupi, Cx. Postal 66, CEP 77402-970, Gurupi, TO, Brazil

    A. M. V. M. Soares

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  1. A. C. Bastos
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Bastos, A.C., Prodana, M., Abrantes, N. et al. Potential risk of biochar-amended soil to aquatic systems: an evaluation based on aquatic bioassays. Ecotoxicology 23, 1784–1793 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-014-1344-1

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