William H. Clements
Robert E. Zuellig
Katharine A. Mitchell
Stan E. Church
Richard B. Wanty
Carma A. San Juan
Monique Adams
Paul J. Lamothe
Travis S. Schmidt
2011
<p><span>Whole body Zn concentrations in individuals (</span><i>n</i><span> = 825) from three aquatic insect taxa (mayflies </span><i>Rhithrogena</i><span> spp. and </span><i>Drunella</i><span> spp. and the caddisfly </span><i>Arctopsyche grandis</i><span>) were used to predict effects on populations and communities (</span><i>n</i><span> = 149 samples). Both mayflies accumulated significantly more Zn than the caddisfly. The presence/absence of </span><i>Drunella</i><span> 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 </span><i>Drunella</i><span> spp. and 267 μg/g Zn for </span><i>Rhithrogena</i><span> 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 </span><i>Drunella</i><span> spp. and </span><i>Rhithrogena</i><span> 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.</span></p>
application/pdf
10.1021/es200215s
en
American Chemical Society
Critical tissue residue approach linking accumulated metals in aquatic insects to population and community-level effects
article