Size-Dependent Sensitivity of Aquatic Insects to Metals.

Laboratory assessments of aqueous metal toxicity generally demonstrate aquatic insects tolerate relatively high concentrations of metals in aqueous exposures; however, mesocosm experiments and field biomonitoring often indicate effects at relatively low metal concentrations. One hypothesis proposed to reconcile this discrepancy is an increased sensitivity of smaller size classes of organisms. We exposed field colonized benthic communities to aqueous metals in a series of mesocosm experiments.