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Fish macroparasites as indicators of heavy metal pollution in river sites in Austria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 November 2003

C. SCHLUDERMANN ,
R. KONECNY ,
S. LAIMGRUBER ,
J. W. LEWIS ,
F. SCHIEMER ,
A. CHOVANEC  and
B. SURES
C. SCHLUDERMANN
Affiliation:
Institut für Ökologie und Naturschutz, Universität Wien, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090, Wien
R. KONECNY
Affiliation:
Institut für Ökologie und Naturschutz, Universität Wien, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090, Wien
S. LAIMGRUBER
Affiliation:
Institut für Ökologie und Naturschutz, Universität Wien, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090, Wien
J. W. LEWIS
Affiliation:
Royal Holloway College, University of London, Egham, TW20 OEX, Surrey
F. SCHIEMER
Affiliation:
Royal Holloway College, University of London, Egham, TW20 OEX, Surrey
A. CHOVANEC
Affiliation:
Umweltbundesamt, Spittelauer Lände 5, A-1090, Wien
B. SURES
Affiliation:
Zoologisches Institut – Ökologie, Universität Karlsruhe, Kaiserstrasse 12, 78128, Karlsruhe
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Abstract

This paper describes two approaches to evaluate the use of fish macroparasites as bioindicators of heavy metal pollution at selected river stretches in Austria. Firstly changes in the diversity and richness of endoparasites of the cyprinid barbel, Barbus barbus (L.), were tested in relation to heavy metal contents in the aquatic system. Secondly, the bioaccumulation potential of cadmium, lead and zinc was assessed in the acanthocephalan, Pomphorhynchus laevis (Müller, 1776), and compared with that in the muscle, liver and intestine of its barbel host. The present results indicated that in order to validate the role of parasite community patterns related to heavy metal pollution, more investigations on food web dynamics, interelationships between parasites and the presence/absence of intermediate hosts will be essential. Heavy metal concentrations differed significantly between the organs of barbel and P. laevis (P=0·001) with levels up to 2860 fold in the parasite. The high level of heavy metal accumulation in P. laevis compared with that in its barbel host, suggests that despite variability in the parasite infrapopulation, host mobility and feeding behaviour, P. laevis is a most sensitive indicator of heavy metals in aquatic ecosystems.

Keywords

Pomphorhynchus laevisBarbus barbusparasitesheavy metalsdiversitybioindication
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 126 , Issue 7 , March 2003 , pp. S61 - S69
Copyright
© 2003 Cambridge University Press

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