Role of Vegetation in a Constructed Wetland on Nutrient-Pesticide Mixture Toxicity to Hyalella azteca

The toxicity of a nutrient-pesticide mixture in nonvegetated and vegetated sections of a constructed wetland (882 m² each) was assessed using Hyalella azteca 48-h aqueous whole-effluent toxicity bioassays. Both sections were amended with a mixture of sodium nitrate, triple superphosphate, diazinon, and permethrin simulating storm-event agricultural runoff. Aqueous samples were collected at inflow, middle, and outflow points within each section 5 h, 24 h, 72 h, 7 days, 14 days, and 21 days postamendment. Nutrients and pesticides were detected throughout both wetland sections with concentrations longitudinally decreasing more in vegetated than nonvegetated section within 24 h. Survival effluent dilution point estimates--NOECs, LOECs, and LC₅₀s--indicated greatest differences in toxicity between nonvegetated and vegetated sections at 5 h. Associations of nutrient and pesticide concentrations with NOECs indicated that earlier toxicity (5-72 h) was from permethrin and diazinon, whereas later toxicity (7-21 days) was primarily from diazinon. Nutrient-pesticide mixture concentration-response assessment using toxic unit models indicated that H. azteca toxicity was due primarily to the pesticides diazinon and permethrin. Results show that the effects of vegetation versus no vegetation on nutrient-pesticide mixture toxicity are not evident after 5 h and a 21-day retention time is necessary to improve H. azteca survival to ≥90% in constructed wetlands of this size.