title: A new scheme for biomonitoring heavy metal concentrations in semi-natural wetlands.
abstract: This work introduces a semi-natural wetland biomonitoring framework for heavy metal concentrations based on a robust dynamic integration between biological assemblages and relevant biosensors. The cooperative/synergistic scheme developed minimizes uncertainty and monitoring costs and increases reliability of pollution control and abatement. Attention is given to establishing a fully functioning and reliable network approach for monitoring inflows and achieving dose-response relations and calibration of biomonitoring species. The biomonitoring network initially consists of both, biosensors and species, as a validation phase in each wetland of the surveillance area; once the species monitoring efficiency is verified by the biosensors, the biosensor network moves to the next wetland and so on, following a circular pattern until all area wetlands have a fully functional natural monitoring scheme. By means of species recalibration with periodic revisiting of the biosensors, the scheme progressively reaches a quasi steady-state (including seasonality), thus ensuring reliability and robustness. This framework, currently pilot-tested in Voiotia, Greece, for assessing chromium levels, has been built to cover short-, medium- and long-term monitoring requirements. The results gathered so far, support the employment of the proposed scheme in heavy metal monitoring, and, further, arise the need for volunteer involvement to achieve long-term viability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Management & Technology, University of Piraeus, Karaoli & Dimitriou 80, 185 34 Piraeus, Greece.
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Batzias
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Siontorou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D053833:Wetlands
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy