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Behavioural early warning responses to polluted water

Performance ofGammarus pulex L. (Crustacea) andHydropsyche angustipennis (Curtis) (Insecta) to a complex industrial effluent

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Abstract

Behavioural early warning responses to polluted surface water from an industrial effluent have been measured in two freshwater macroinvertebrate species using the four electrode impedance conversion technique. Specimens ofGammarus pulex (L.) andHydropsycho angustipennis (Curtis) were caught from reference streams and exposed to water from above and below the factory and to reference water for about 1 h with different kinds of behaviour being registered on-line every 10 min, such as time spent on locomotion, number of “high swimming peaks”, number of activity phases, cleaning, time spent on ventilation, ventilation frequency and netspinning. Additionally, G.pulex was exposedin situ above and 100 m, 500 m and 1000 m below the factory for 24 h.

G.pulex reacted to water pollution within 1 h with less time spent on locomotion, fewer “high swimming peaks” and lower number of activity phases (p < 0.01). The same results were found after thein situ exposure (p < 0.05) and the pollution gradient mirrored survival and behavioural performance of the organisms.

H. angustipennis reacted to water pollution within 1 h with decreased time spent on ventilation (p < 0.001), no change in locomotion and netspinning during daytime. During the night, exposure to water pollution resulted in increased locomotion (p < 0.0001).

Simultaneous multispecies on-line biomonitoring of industrial effluents is recommended for reliable risk assessment.

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  1. Almut Gerhardt

    Present address: Institute for Water Research, Ecology, Rhodes University, P.O. Box 94, 6140, Grahamstown, South Africa

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  1. Dept. of Ecology, Ecotoxicology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, S-223 62, Lund, Sweden

    Almut Gerhardt

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Gerhardt, A. Behavioural early warning responses to polluted water. Environ. Sci. & Pollut. Res. 3, 63–70 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02985490

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02985490

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