Invertebrates control metals and arsenic sequestration as ecosystem engineers

Organic sediments are known to be a significant sink of inorganic elements in polluted freshwater ecosystems. Hence, we investigated the role of invertebrate shredders (the freshwater shrimp Gammarus pulex L.) in metal and arsenic enrichment into organic partitions of sediments in a wetland stream a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Chemosphere (Oxford) 2010-03, Vol.79 (2), p.169-173
Main Authors: Schaller, Jörg, Weiske, Arndt, Mkandawire, Martin, Dudel, E. Gert
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air. Soil. Water. Waste. Feeding
Amphipoda - metabolism
Animals
Applied sciences
Arsenic
Arsenic - analysis
Arsenic - metabolism
Biodegradation, Environmental
Biofilms
Biofilms - growth & development
Biological and medical sciences
Biological and physicochemical phenomena
Continental surface waters
Decay
Ecosystem
Ecosystems
Enrichment
Environment. Living conditions
Environmental Monitoring
Exact sciences and technology
Fresh Water - chemistry
Freshwater
Gammarus pulex
Geologic Sediments - chemistry
Heavy metal
Invertebrata
Invertebrates
Leaf litter
Magnesium
Medical sciences
Metals - analysis
Metals - metabolism
Natural water pollution
Particle Size
Pollution
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Sediments
Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis
Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism
Water treatment and pollution
Wetlands
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Summary:Organic sediments are known to be a significant sink of inorganic elements in polluted freshwater ecosystems. Hence, we investigated the role of invertebrate shredders (the freshwater shrimp Gammarus pulex L.) in metal and arsenic enrichment into organic partitions of sediments in a wetland stream at former uranium mining site. Metal and metalloid content in leaf litter increased significantly during decomposition, while at the same time the carbon content decreased. During decomposition, G. pulex as a ecosystem engineer facilitated significantly the enrichment of magnesium (250%), manganese (560%), cobalt (310%), copper (200%), zinc (43%), arsenic (670%), cadmium (100%) and lead (1340%) into small particle sizes. The enrichments occur under very high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon. Small particles have high surface area that results in high biofilm development. Further, the highest amounts of elements were observed in biofilms. Therefore, invertebrate shredder like G. pulex can enhance retention of large amounts of metal and arsenic in wetlands.
ISSN:0045-6535
1879-1298
DOI:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2010.01.015