Effects of Trace Metals and Municipal Wastewater on the Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera of a Stream Community

Abstract

Abundances of EPT larvae sampled in a Central European locality affected by mining and smelting, as well as by the continual inflow of treated communal wastewaters (WWs), were recorded. High concentrations of trace metals in water (maximum 1200 µg·L–1 for zinc) and sediments (maximum 140,000 mg·kg–1 in dry weight for lead) were found at the most contaminated sites. The highest loads of pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and illegal drugs were found under the WW effluent. Other associated factors such as the physicochemical parameters of the water and alterations to microhabitats were also evaluated and taken into account. Although EPT richness was lower at affected sites, abundances did not fall. Stoneflies were dominant at unaffected sites, while caddisflies dominated at affected sites. Only baetid mayflies were detected at the sites contaminated by trace metals and WWs; ephemerellid, heptageniid, and leptophlebiid mayflies were absent from these sites. The site contaminated by trace metals was also inhabited by numerous limnephilid caddisflies, in which limb malformations were detected in up to 11.8% of all specimens of a single taxon. Downstream from the entrance of the WWs, the locality was dominated by hydropsychid caddisflies. The increasing prevalence of predator or passive filter-feeding strategies in these EPT communities was significantly related to increasing water conductivity and acute ecosystemic exposure to ‘poorly treated’ WWs.

Metallothionein level in the larva of Cheumatopsyche sp. and the relationship between heavy metal concentration in Bone River, Gorontalo, Indonesia

“…River organic matter and heavy metals can accumulate in the body of Trichoptera larvae (Let et al 2022), and in Cheumatopsyche sp. can accumulate in the digestive organs and cause tissue damage which is indicated by a change in the surface area of the lumen (Yoga 2014).…”

Effects of urban spatial and temporal heterogeneity on benthic macroinvertebrate and diatom communities

“…Thus, patterns of spatial and temporal heterogeneity in habitat types and quality in urban rivers may depend on geographical context and human needs (Ripl 2003;Konrad & Booth 2005;Booth et al 2016). However, although biotic and abiotic responses to flow variation by dams are well studied, responses to flow variation caused by urban flow events in effluent dominated systems are not (Desiante et al 2022;Let et al 2022).…”

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning in Naturally and Experimentally Assembled Communities

“…In the first research article, wheat–faba-bean mixtures were studied to shed light on the phenomenon whereby increased diversity (e.g., represented by cereal–legume mixtures) in crop systems is often associated with higher yields and ecological sustainability compared to monocultures [ 6 ]. Let et al [ 7 ] analyzed the effects of environmental pollution on the biodiversity (measured by abundances) of the larvae of aquatic insects, i.e., mayflies (Ephemeroptera), stoneflies (Plecoptera), and caddisflies (Trichoptera), in a river in central Bohemia (Czech Republic). The third research article deals with plant diversity and its relationships with soil microbes, i.e., bacteria and fungi, in semi-arid grassland in China, highlighting the critical role of soil microbe diversity in regulating soil multifunctionality [ 8 ].…”