4.3 Application of the Integrative WOE Approach to a 1-Year Case Study on the Seine
River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
4.4 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
5 Conclusions and Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Abstract The Seine River and its drainage basin are recognised as one of the most
urbanised water systems in France. This chapter gathers typical applications of
complementary ecotoxicological tools that were used in PIREN-Seine programmes
for a decade to reflect the Seine River contamination as well as its biological
repercussions on organisms. Ecotoxicological studies focused on both (1) specific
bioassays and (2) (sub)-individual biological responses (i.e. biomarkers) measured
in diverse taxa (i.e. crustaceans, mussels and fishes) representative of the trophic
network. Experience gained from these studies made it possible to establish reference and threshold values for numerous biological endpoints. They now can be
combined with chemical measurements within integrated models (i.e. the Weight of
Evidence [WOE] approach) generating a global index of waterbody pollution. These
biological endpoints today appear sufficiently relevant and mature to be proposed
to water stakeholders as efficient tools to support environmental management
strategies.
Keywords Bioassays, Biomarkers, Biomonitoring, eLTER, Freshwater
ecotoxicology, PIREN-Seine, WOE approach, Zone Atelier Seine
1 Introduction
The Seine basin is subjected to multiple anthropogenic pressures including intensive
agricultural activities and some heavy urbanisation and industrialisation within the
Paris conurbation and its surrounding areas [1]. This wide variety of anthropogenic
pressures affecting the Seine watershed makes this area an ideal area to study
contemporary environmental issues. The short- and long-term repercussions of
such diffuse and chronic pressure on ecosystem health remain difficult to evaluate,
considering the complexity and the diversity of these exogenous inputs. The contamination level can be determined through chemical analysis as defined by the
presence of substances that would not normally occur or at concentrations above the
natural background. However, the pollution status assessment additionally integrates
chemical bioavailability and the biological impacts of contaminants [2]. Consequently, integrated and multidisciplinary strategies are clearly recommended and
even required by the European Water Framework Directive 2000/60/CE [3]. One of
the main strengths of the PIREN-Seine programme is that it is based on a substantial
interdisciplinary scientific network, whose partners work jointly contributing their
own expertise to improve the understanding of the ecological and biogeochemical
functioning of the whole Seine watershed, including human-induced modifications.
244
M. Bonnard et al.
River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
4.4 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
5 Conclusions and Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Abstract The Seine River and its drainage basin are recognised as one of the most
urbanised water systems in France. This chapter gathers typical applications of
complementary ecotoxicological tools that were used in PIREN-Seine programmes
for a decade to reflect the Seine River contamination as well as its biological
repercussions on organisms. Ecotoxicological studies focused on both (1) specific
bioassays and (2) (sub)-individual biological responses (i.e. biomarkers) measured
in diverse taxa (i.e. crustaceans, mussels and fishes) representative of the trophic
network. Experience gained from these studies made it possible to establish reference and threshold values for numerous biological endpoints. They now can be
combined with chemical measurements within integrated models (i.e. the Weight of
Evidence [WOE] approach) generating a global index of waterbody pollution. These
biological endpoints today appear sufficiently relevant and mature to be proposed
to water stakeholders as efficient tools to support environmental management
strategies.
Keywords Bioassays, Biomarkers, Biomonitoring, eLTER, Freshwater
ecotoxicology, PIREN-Seine, WOE approach, Zone Atelier Seine
1 Introduction
The Seine basin is subjected to multiple anthropogenic pressures including intensive
agricultural activities and some heavy urbanisation and industrialisation within the
Paris conurbation and its surrounding areas [1]. This wide variety of anthropogenic
pressures affecting the Seine watershed makes this area an ideal area to study
contemporary environmental issues. The short- and long-term repercussions of
such diffuse and chronic pressure on ecosystem health remain difficult to evaluate,
considering the complexity and the diversity of these exogenous inputs. The contamination level can be determined through chemical analysis as defined by the
presence of substances that would not normally occur or at concentrations above the
natural background. However, the pollution status assessment additionally integrates
chemical bioavailability and the biological impacts of contaminants [2]. Consequently, integrated and multidisciplinary strategies are clearly recommended and
even required by the European Water Framework Directive 2000/60/CE [3]. One of
the main strengths of the PIREN-Seine programme is that it is based on a substantial
interdisciplinary scientific network, whose partners work jointly contributing their
own expertise to improve the understanding of the ecological and biogeochemical
functioning of the whole Seine watershed, including human-induced modifications.
244
M. Bonnard et al.