Season changes of cadmium and copper levels in stem-boring larvae of Agapanthia villosoviridescens (coleoptera) on salt marshes of the Westerschelde estuary

Journal Article · Wed Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01701998· OSTI ID:6521871

Hemminga, M A; Nieuwenhuize, J; Poley-Vos, C H; van Soelen, J ^[1]

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1. Delta Institute for Hydrobiological Research, Yerseke (Netherlands)

Analyses of heavy metals in insects, including their developmental stages, have been widely used to monitor the penetration of these pollutants in various ecosystems. There are few reports dealing with seasonal changes in heavy metal content of insects. The seasonal pattern found in one herbivorous insect closely followed seasonal trends in metal contamination levels in the local vegetation. No data are available on season changes in insect larvae. To obtain more detailed information on seasonal changes of heavy metal levels in insects and their relation with the seasonally changing conditions in the habitat, the authors studied the time course of cadmium and copper concentrations in larvae of the longhorn beetle Agapanthia villosoviridescens. These live as stem-borers in the salt marsh halophyte Aster tripolium. The authors collected larvae from three salt marshes along the Westerschelde estuary. This estuary is severely polluted by heavy metals originating mainly from upstream sources; a large fraction of these metals is retained within the estuary. The fringing salt marsh soils, which are a sink for trace metals, show a gradient in pollution, with levels of heavy metals generally increasing in upstream direction. Salt marsh halophytes growing on these marshes show uptake of metals from the soil. Further transfers of heavy metals through the natural food chains on these salt marshes have not been investigated sofar.

• OSTI ID: 6521871
• Journal Information: Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; (USA), Journal Name: Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; (USA) Vol. 43:5; ISSN 0007-4861; ISSN BECTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CONTAMINATION
COPPER COMPOUNDS
ECOSYSTEMS
ESTUARIES
EUROPE
LARVAE
MARSHES
NETHERLANDS
PLANT STEMS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SURFACE WATERS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
VARIATIONS
WESTERN EUROPE
WETLANDS