Critical tissue residue approach linking accumulated metals in aquatic insects to population and community-level effects

Travis S. Schmidt; William H. Clements; Robert E. Zuellig; Katharine A. Mitchell; Stan E. Church; Richard B. Wanty; Carma A. San Juan; Monique Adams; Paul J. Lamothe

doi:10.1021/es200215s

Critical tissue residue approach linking accumulated metals in aquatic insects to population and community-level effects

Environmental Science & Technology

By: Travis S. Schmidt, William H. Clements, Robert E. Zuellig, Katharine A. Mitchell, Stan E. Church, Richard B. Wanty, Carma A. San Juan, Monique Adams, and Paul J. Lamothe

https://doi.org/10.1021/es200215s

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Abstract

Whole body Zn concentrations in individuals (n = 825) from three aquatic insect taxa (mayflies Rhithrogena spp. and Drunella spp. and the caddisfly Arctopsyche grandis) were used to predict effects on populations and communities (n = 149 samples). Both mayflies accumulated significantly more Zn than the caddisfly. The presence/absence of Drunella spp. most reliably distinguished sites with low and high Zn concentrations; however, population densities of mayflies were more sensitive to increases in accumulated Zn. Critical tissue residues (634 μg/g Zn for Drunella spp. and 267 μg/g Zn for Rhithrogena spp.) caused a 20% reduction in maximum (90th quantile) mayfly densities. These critical tissue residues were associated with exposure to 7.0 and 3.9 μg/L dissolved Zn for Drunella spp. and Rhithrogena spp., respectively. A threshold in a measure of taxonomic completeness (observed/expected) was observed at 5.4 μg/L dissolved Zn. Dissolved Zn concentrations associated with critical tissue residues in mayflies were also associated with adverse effects in the aquatic community as a whole. These effects on populations and communities occurred at Zn concentrations below the U.S. EPA hardness-adjusted continuous chronic criterion.

Additional publication details
Publication type	Article
Publication Subtype	Journal Article
Title	Critical tissue residue approach linking accumulated metals in aquatic insects to population and community-level effects
Series title	Environmental Science & Technology
DOI	10.1021/es200215s
Volume	45
Issue	16
Publication Date	July 27, 2011
Year Published	2011
Language	English
Publisher	American Chemical Society
Publisher location	Washington, D.C.
Contributing office(s)	Central Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Center
Description	7 p.
First page	7004
Last page	7010