With this third and last part of our series ‘Highlights of 2024’ we finish saying goodbye to 2024 and we welcome a new year of studying and research. Today we welcome a new member to the EcotoxBlog, and recap studies on riparian soil and macroinvertebrates.
Welcome Tola to the team!
“Hi, my name is Tola. I am an MSc student in Ecotoxicology at RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau. I am interested in the fate and transport of contaminants in the environment and reducing chemical exposure risks to biota. I aim to safeguard biodiversity and promote sustainable environmental protection through chemical risk assessment and regulatory compliance.”
How River Macroinvertebrates Across Europe Respond to Common Pollutants
Dr Jonathan Jupke and his colleagues explored how river macroinvertebrates across Europe respond to common pollutants, such as copper and imidacloprid, and what these findings can say about the adequacy of the current environmental risk assessment methods. You can read the full article here:
Modelling long-term effects of contaminants on non-biting midges (Chironomidae)
Dr. Alessandro Manfrin and his team developed a model to assess the long-term effects of contaminants on non-biting midge populations. Their study showed that exposure to the biological larvicide Bti reduces larval densities and adult emergence across multiple generations.
Flooding linked with higher contamination in riparian zone
Franziska Fiolka and colleagues discuss their study investigating flooding as a vector for organic pesticides, linking aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. By assessing regularly and rarely flooded riparian plant contamination profiles in small streams, they found more and higher concentrations of organic pesticides in regularly flooded riparian soil and plants.
How algae and fungi team up to nourish aquatic invertebrates
Some aquatic invertebrates rely on microbial-colonized leaves for nutrients, with fungi playing a critical role in making the leaves more palatable. The study by Alexander Feckler and colleagues looked at the role of algae through a process called “algal priming,” where algal carbon promotes fungal growth. Their results showed that consumption of algae-enhanced leaf material led to increased growth. You can read the full article here: