Aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages in rivers influenced by mining activities

  • Mining is one of the major pollution sources worldwide, causing huge disturbances to the environment. Industrial and artisanal mining activities are widespread in Mexico, a major global producer of various metals. This study aimed to assess the ecological impairments resulting from mining activities using aquatic macroinvertebrates assemblages (MA). A multiple co-inertia analysis was applied to determine the relationships between environmental factors, habitat quality, heavy metals, and aquatic macroinvertebrates in 15 study sites in two different seasons (dry and wet) along two rivers running across the Central Plateau of Mexico. The results revealed three contrasting environmental conditions associated with different MAs. High concentrations of heavy metals, nutrients, and salinity limit the presence of several families of seemingly sensitive macroinvertebrates. These factors were found to influence structural changes in MAs, showing that not only mining activities, but also agriculture and presence of villages in the basin, exert adverse effects on macroinvertebrate assemblages. Diversity indices showed that the lowest diversity matched both the most polluted and the most saline rivers. The rivers studied displayed high alkalinity and hardness levels, which can reduce the availability of metals and cause adverse effects on periphyton by inhibiting photosynthesis and damaging MAs. Aquatic biomonitoring in rivers, impacted by mining and other human activities, is critical for detecting the effect of metals and other pollutants to improve management and conservation strategies. This study supports the design of cost-effective and accurate water quality biomonitoring protocols in developing countries.

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Author:Axel Eduardo Rico-SánchezORCiD, Alexis Joseph Rodríguez-RomeroORCiD, Jacinto Elías Sedeño-DíazORCiD, Eugenia López-LópezORCiD, Andrea SundermannORCiDGND
URN:urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-751516
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-06869-2
ISSN:2045-2322
Parent Title (English):Scientific reports
Publisher:Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature
Place of publication:[London]
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Date of Publication (online):2022/02/25
Date of first Publication:2022/02/25
Publishing Institution:Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
Release Date:2024/07/15
Tag:Biodiversity; Community ecology; Conservation biology; Ecology; Environmental sciences; Limnology
Volume:12
Issue:art. 3209
Article Number:3209
Page Number:14
First Page:1
Last Page:14
Note:
Funding: CONACyT ; FONINS P 1931
Note:
Funding: Secretaría de Investigación y Posgrado ; 20200577
Institutes:Biowissenschaften
Angeschlossene und kooperierende Institutionen / Senckenbergische Naturforschende Gesellschaft
Dewey Decimal Classification:5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 57 Biowissenschaften; Biologie / 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie
Sammlungen:Universitätspublikationen
Licence (German):License LogoCreative Commons - CC BY - Namensnennung 4.0 International