ICRA Catalan Institute for Water Research
Carrer Emili Grahit 101
17003 Girona
Spain
Vicenç Acuña
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The facility has 24 artificial streams, divided into 4 experimental blocks. The dimensions of each stream are 2 m long, 10 cm wide, rectangular section 50 cm2
- Hydraulics (0,01 to 0,1 L/s allowing 2-50 min travel time)
- Hydraulics circulation type: recirculating or flow-through
- Light cycles and light intensity
- Water temperaure values and cycles
- Air temperature (from 4-40ºC)
- Air humidity
- Chlorine concentration
- Dissolved oxygen
Broadly speaking, research at the ESF deals with ecology or eco-toxicology. In regards to ecology, we are mainly interested in the effects of flow intermittency and temperature, whereas the main ecotoxicological topics are multi-stressor effects. In this direction, we often work with emerging contaminants effects, bioaccumulation, biodegradation, and biomagnification.
Ecological research:
- What’s the relationship between intermittency temporal extent on stream ecosystem processes?
- Will warmer nights cause a shift towards heterotrophy?
- How relevant are heatwaves in shaping stream communities?
- Does intermittency influence the length of trophic invertebrate chains?
Ecotoxicological research:
- What’s the interaction between physical stressors such as water stress during droughts and chemical stress by pharmaceuticals?
- Does biodegradation of pharmaceuticals depend on temperature?
- Is bioaccumulation of pharmaceuticals in biofilms and inverts depend solely on exposure?
Stream ecology and freshwater ecotoxicology
- Climate chamber with temperature and humidity control
- Rainwater harvesting, storage and conditioning for experiments
- 24 experimental stream channels
- 36 LED lights (Lightech, Girona, Spain)
- 4 quantum sensors (LI-192SA, LiCOR Inc, Lincoln, USA)
- 4 cryo-compact circulator (Julabo CF-31, Seelbach, Germany)
- 12 Temperature data loggers VEMCO Minilog (TR model, AMIRIX Systems Inc, Halifax, NS, Canada)
- 4 peristaltic pump (IPC pump, Ismatec,Switzerland)
in private accommodation in the vicinity
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