Taxonomic and non-taxonomic responses of benthic macroinvertebrates to metal toxicity in tropical reservoirs. The case of Cantareira Complex, São Paulo, Brazil

Author(s)

FREDERICO G.S. BEGHELLI ; MAURÍCIO CETRA ^[2] ; MERCEDES MARCHESE ^[3] ; JÚLIO CÉSAR LÓPEZ-DOVÁL ; ANDRÉ H. ROSA ^[5] ; MARCELO L. M. POMPÊO ; VIVIANE MOSCHINI-CARLOS ^[7]

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências; v. 92, n. 2 2020-04-22.

Abstract

Abstract Benthic macroinvertebrates are organisms that are recognized as water quality bio-indicators. A wide variety of indices and metrics have been shown to respond to a variety of anthropogenic impacts, usually under a general condition of environmental impairment. The absence of a clear distinction in the relations between specific pollutants and biotic variables is very common and can lead to biased interpretation of biomonitoring. The aims of this research were to test taxonomic and non-taxonomic responses to specific environmental conditions instead to general conditions. For this purpose, we estimated the theoretical toxicity by comparing toxicity values published by EPA with metal concentrations in water and sediments. Then we tested the responses of biological variables to toxicity and other environmental conditions using the linear mixed effects models approach. We generated 32 models considering 24 different biological metrics and indices that were grouped in five levels. Taxonomic and abundance metrics were best predictor than functional or tolerance-based indexes. The strongest model was that which considered subfamily taxonomic resolution responding to Al_w and Cr_s. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/22581-8 - The European Union's Water Framework Directive: applications to Brazilian reservoirs reality
• Grantee: Marcelo Luiz Martins Pompêo
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 13/08272-0 - Trophic descriptors of the reservoirs in the Cantareira System (São Paulo, SP)
• Grantee: Viviane Moschini Carlos
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 12/11890-4 - Contamination for heavy metal in the sediment of reservoirs of the Sistema Cantareira (São Paulo State): perspective or reality?
• Grantee: Marcelo Luiz Martins Pompêo
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 12/16420-6 - Ecotoxicological characterization of the Guarapiranga reservoir: study of possible adverse effects of heavy metals, pesticides and environmental stressors on aquatic fauna
• Grantee: Julio César López Doval
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 13/03494-4 - The reservoirs of the Cantareira System (Brazil, São Paulo): the relations between bioindicators benthic organisms and the heavy metals contamination.
• Grantee: Frederico Guilherme de Souza Beghelli
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate