title: Periphyton as a bioindicator of mercury pollution in a temperate torrential river ecosystem.
abstract: Mercury presents a potential risk to the environment and humans, especially in its methylated form. It is among the highest priority environmental pollutants. River Idrijca (Slovenia) is highly contaminated with mercury due to past mercury mining. The aim of this work was to investigate whether the periphyton community in rivers such as Idrijca is a suitable indicator of Hg pollution and of changes in mercury methylation and could serve as an early warning system of increased input of MeHg in the food chain. Periphyton is the only site of primary production in temperate torrential rivers such as Idrijca and is therefore an important link in the food chain. It is also a potential site of Hg accumulation and its introduction to higher trophic levels. Our aim was to assess the response of the periphyton to seasonal and spatial variations in mercury levels and to evaluate its potential as an early warning system of changes in mercury reactivity and mobilization The results indicate that periphyton in a torrential river is too complex and unpredictable to be used as a sole indicator of mercury concentrations and changes in the river. Nevertheless, it can complement environmental measurements due to its importance in the riverine food web.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Suzana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zižek
authors.forename: Radmila
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Milačič
authors.forename: Nives
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kovač
authors.forename: Radojko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jaćimović
authors.forename: Mihael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Toman
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Horvat
mesh_terms: D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008906:Mining; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012621:Seasons; D017524:Slovenia; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D008628:Mercury