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Laboratory simulation system, using Carcinus maenas as the model organism, for assessing the impact of CO2 leakage from sub-seabed injection and storage
- Source :
- Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC, instname
- Publication Year :
- 2016
- Publisher :
- Elsevier, 2016.
-
Abstract
- The capture and storage of CO2 in sub-seabed geological formations has been proposed as one of the potential options to decrease atmospheric CO2 concentrations in order to mitigate the abrupt and irreversible consequences of climate change. However, it is possible that CO2 leakages could occur during the injection and sequestration procedure, with significant repercussions for the marine environment. We investigate the effects of acidification derived from possible CO2 leakage events on the European green crab, Carcinus maenas. To this end, a lab-scale experiment involving direct release of CO2 was conducted at pH values between 7.7 and 6.15. Female crabs were exposed for 10 days to sediment collected from two different coastal areas, one with relatively uncontaminated sediment (RSP) and the other with known contaminated sediment (MZ and ML), under the pre-established seawater pH conditions. Survival rate, histopathological damage and metal (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cr, Cd and Pb) and As accumulation in gills and hepatopancreas tissue were employed as endpoints. In addition, the obtained results were compared with the results of the physico-chemical characterization of the sediments, which included the determination of the metals Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cr, Pb and Cd, the metalloid As, certain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), as well as nonchemical sediment properties (grain size, organic carbon and total organic matter). Significant associations were observed between pH and the histological damage. Concentrations of Fe, Mn, Cr, Pb, Cd and PAHs in sediment, presented significant negative correlations with the damage to gills and hepatopancreas, and positive correlations with metal accumulation in both tissues. The results obtained in this study reveal the importance of sediment properties in the biological effects caused by possible CO2 leakage. However, a clear pattern was not observed between metal accumulation in tissues and pH reduction. Animals' avoidance behavior and degree of tolerance to acidification are confounding factors for assessing metal bioaccumulation. Further research is required to find a suitable assay that would allow us to predict the risk to environmental health of possible negative side effects of metal mobility derived from CO2 leakage during its injection and storage in sub-seabed formations.<br />This work was supported by grants from Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad under grant reference CTM 2011-2843-CO2-02 and Andalusian Regional Government under grant reference RNM-3924 and Andalusian Research Plan (Ecotoxicology, Ecophysiology, and Biodiversity of Aquatic Systems Group, RNM306 EEBAS).
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
Gills
Carbon Sequestration
Geologic Sediments
Brachyura
PH reduction
Hepatopancreas
Metal accumulation
010501 environmental sciences
01 natural sciences
Biochemistry
Arsenic
Acidification
chemistry.chemical_compound
Sediment toxicity
Metals, Heavy
Animals
Organic matter
Seawater
Carcinus maenas
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
General Environmental Science
chemistry.chemical_classification
biology
Chemistry
010604 marine biology & hydrobiology
Sediment
Carbon Dioxide
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
biology.organism_classification
Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Bioaccumulation
Environmental chemistry
Carbon dioxide
CO2 leakage
Female
Metalloid
Laboratories
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Environmental Monitoring
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC, instname
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....a3f68efc12efca40dceaf24cd6240bf5