Mayfly larvae (Baetis rhodani and B. vernus) as biomonitors of trace metal pollution in streams of a catchment draining a zinc and lead mining area of Upper Silesia, Poland.

Larvae of two Baetis species were used to investigate spatial and temporal variability in the bioavailabilities of cadmium, copper, lead, zinc and iron in the river Biala Przemsza and its tributaries draining an area of lead and zinc mining in Upper Silesia, Poland. Accumulated metal concentrations were measured in April, May, August and November 2000. Both species indicated significant local geographical variability in availabilities of zinc, iron, lead and cadmium, but not copper. Accumulated concentrations of lead, zinc and cadmium confirmed the high general contamination of the Biala Przemsza system by these three trace metals. Larvae showed little seasonal variation in concentrations of cadmium, copper, lead and iron. Accumulated zinc concentrations were low in Baetis rhodani in August, perhaps as a result of insufficient time for high concentrations to accumulate since hatching of the larvae. Samples collected in August most nearly matched criteria of the greatest availability of larvae for collection and their size homogeneity, minimising the possibilities of any effect of differential larval size and/or age on accumulated metal concentrations. Mayfly larvae are members of a suite of potential stream biomonitors in Central Europe, which together can provide information on the different sources of bioavailable trace metals present in aquatic ecosystems.