The study gives great insights into how sediment organic carbon influences Irgarol 1051 toxicity in meiobenthic communities, but a couple of things could use more clarification. First, the porewater concentrations were estimated using partitioning equations; were any direct measurements taken to confirm these estimates? Since organic carbon interactions can vary, some experimental validation would really help strengthen the findings.
Also, the paper looks at how different nematode feeding groups respond but doesn’t fully explore whether indirect effects, like shifts in microbial food availability or trophic interactions, played a role. Could the authors expand on how these factors might have influenced the observed toxicity responses?
The study used partitioning equations to estimate Irgarol 1051 concentrations, which is a common approach in sediment toxicity research. That said, no direct measurements were taken, so adding experimental validation in future studies could definitely help confirm these estimates and account for variability in organic carbon interactions.
As for the nematode feeding groups, the study mainly focused on direct toxicity effects, but you’re right—factors like microbial food availability and trophic interactions could have played a role. While these weren’t specifically analyzed, future research could look into microbial community shifts or use stable isotope analysis to better understand these indirect effects.