Indication of pesticide effects and recolonization in streams.

The agricultural use of pesticides leads to environmentally relevant pesticide concentrations that cause adverse effects on stream ecosystems. These effects on invertebrate community composition can be identified by the bio-indicator SPEAR. However, refuge areas have been found to partly confound the indicator.

Pesticides from wastewater treatment plant effluents affect invertebrate communities.

We quantified pesticide contamination and its ecological impact up- and downstream of seven wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in rural and suburban areas of central Germany. During two sampling campaigns, time-weighted average pesticide concentrations (c) were obtained using Chemcatcher® passive samplers; pesticide peak concentrations were quantified with event-driven samplers. At downstream sites, receiving waters were additionally grab sampled for five selected pharmaceuticals.

Pesticide impact on aquatic invertebrates identified with Chemcatcher® passive samplers and the SPEAR(pesticides) index.

Pesticides negatively affect biodiversity and ecosystem function in aquatic environments. In the present study, we investigated the effects of pesticides on stream macroinvertebrates at 19 sites in a rural area dominated by forest cover and arable land in Central Germany. Pesticide exposure was quantified with Chemcatcher® passive samplers equipped with a diffusion-limiting membrane.

Forested headwaters mitigate pesticide effects on macroinvertebrate communities in streams: Mechanisms and quantification.

Pesticides impact invertebrate communities in freshwater ecosystems, leading to the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem functions. One approach to reduce such effects is to maintain uncontaminated stream reaches that can foster recovery of the impacted populations. We assessed the potential of uncontaminated forested headwaters to mitigate pesticide impact on the downstream macroinvertebrate communities in 37 streams, using the SPEARpesticides index.