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Application of an integrated biomarker response index to assess ground water contamination in the vicinity of a rare earth mine tailings site

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Abstract

We utilized a multi-biomarker approach (Integrated Biomarker Response version 2, IBRv2) to investigate the scope and dispersion of groundwater contamination surrounding a rare earth mine tailings impoundment. Parameters of SD rat included in our IBRv2 analyses were glutathione levels, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities, total anti-oxidative capacity, chromosome aberration, and micronucleus formation. The concentration of 20 pollutants including Cl−, SO4 2−, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, TH, CODMn, As, Se, TDS, Be, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Cd, and Pb in the groundwater were also analyzed. The results of this study indicated that groundwater polluted by tailings impoundment leakage exhibited significant ecotoxicological effects. The selected biomarkers responded sensitively to groundwater pollution. Analyses showed a significant relationship between IBRv2 values and the Nemerow composite index. IBRv2 could serve as a sensitive ecotoxicological diagnosis method for assessing groundwater contamination in the vicinity of rare earth mine tailings. According to the trend of IBRv2 value and Nemerow composite index, the maximum diffusion distance of groundwater pollutants from rare earth mine tailings was approximately 5.7 km.

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Abbreviations

TH:

Total hardness

CODMn :

Permanganate index

TDS:

Total dissolved solids

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

CAT:

Catalase

GPx:

Glutathione peroxidase

GSH:

Glutathione

CA:

Chromosome aberration

MN:

Micronuclei

T-AOC:

Total antioxidant capacity

RE:

Rare earth

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Acknowledgments

The project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31460142, 31560598). The Special Foundation for State Science and Technology Basic Work of China (No. 2014FY110800). The Natural Science Fund of Inner Mongolia (No. 2014BS0311). The Special Fund of Public Welfare Industry Scientific Research of China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection (No. 201309005).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University of Scientific and Technical, Baotou, 014010, China

    Wantong Si, Xiaoying He, Donghui Gong, Juan Liu, Jumei Liu & Xuefeng Zhang

  2. Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, MEP, Nanjing, 210042, China

    Wantong Si & Weishou Shen

  3. Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45201, USA

    Ailing Li

  4. Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, Botou Teachers’ College, Baotou, 014030, China

    Li Liu

  5. College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China

    Jisheng Li

Authors
  1. Wantong Si
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  2. Xiaoying He
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  3. Ailing Li
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  4. Li Liu
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  5. Jisheng Li
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  6. Donghui Gong
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  7. Juan Liu
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  8. Jumei Liu
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  9. Weishou Shen
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  10. Xuefeng Zhang
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Weishou Shen or Xuefeng Zhang.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Xiaoying is a co-first author

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Si, W., He, X., Li, A. et al. Application of an integrated biomarker response index to assess ground water contamination in the vicinity of a rare earth mine tailings site. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 17345–17356 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6728-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6728-8

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