Aquatic Insects as Bioindicators of Trace Element Contamination in Cobble-Bottom Rivers and Streams

Abstract

Trace element bioaccumulation was studied in immature benthic insects from two contaminated river systems to develop these animals as bioindicators. In one river, Cu, Cd, Pb, and Zn were analysed in insects and in fine bed sediments over a 381-km reach downstream of a large copper mining complex. In the other river, As contamination from a gold mine was assessed in insects and bed sediments over a 40-km reach. All insect taxa collected in contaminated river reaches had elevated whole-body trace element concentrations. However, direct comparisons of contamination using a single, common species among stations were limited because few species were distributed throughout the study reaches. Comparisons of contamination at taxomic levels higher than species were complicated by element-specific differences in bioaccumulation among taxa. These differences appeared to be governed by biological and hydrogeochemical factors. The variation in element concentrations among species of the caddisfly Hydropsyche was slightly greater than within individual species. If this genus is representative of others, comparisons of contamination within genera may be a practical alternative for biomonitoring studies when single species are not available.