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Heavy metal and PCB contamination of Bryozoan colonies in the River Meuse (Belgium)
Henry, V.; Bussers, J.-C.; Bouquegneau, J.-M.; Thomé, J.-P. (1990). Heavy metal and PCB contamination of Bryozoan colonies in the River Meuse (Belgium). Hydrobiologia 202(3): 147-152. https://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/bf00006841
In: Hydrobiologia. Springer: The Hague. ISSN 0018-8158; e-ISSN 1573-5117, more
Peer reviewed article  

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Keywords
    Chemical compounds > Organic compounds > Hydrocarbons > Unsaturated hydrocarbons > Aromatic hydrocarbons > PCB
    Chemical elements > Metals > Heavy metals
    Population characteristics > Biomass
    Bryozoa [WoRMS]; Phylactolaemata [WoRMS]
    Fresh water
Author keywords
    freshwater ecosystem

Authors  Top 
  • Henry, V., more
  • Bussers, J.-C., more
  • Bouquegneau, J.-M., more
  • Thomé, J.-P., more

Abstract
    In the Meuse River (Liège area, Belgium), large amounts of three species of Bryozoans, Fredericella sultana (BLUM.), Plumatella emarginata ALL. and Plumatella fungosa (PALL.) occur. They cover 3 to 40% of the bank walls and their biomass ranges from 12 to 293 g m−2 (dry weight). In the heated waters of a nuclear power plant (Tihange) and of industries lined up along the river, colony development occurs 3 to 4 weeks earlier than at an upstream station. The heavy metal content of living colonies ranges from 4 to 21 mg kg−1 Cd, 45 to 182 mg kg−1 Cu, 803 to 2232 mg kg−1 Zn, 150 to 483 mg kg−1 Pb and 21 to 138 mg kg−1 Cr (DW). The mean concentration of PCBs was 925 µg kg−1 (DW). Heavy metal and PCB concentrations in the sediments were close to those of colonies, suggesting that most of the pollutants found in the Bryozoans is in fact in the sediment trapped by the colonies.

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