Abstract
The macroinvertebrate benthos of the River Irwell is impoverished to an extent that cannot be explained solely in terms of organic pollution. Relatively high dissolved oxygen levels are maintained as a result of turbulence. Atomic absorption spectrophotometry reveals substrate-bound levels of lead, copper and zinc higher than those recorded for an unpolluted river over almost the entire length of the Irwell, and at some sites the contamination is particularly severe. Concentrations in water are very low and it appears that high pH (about 7) leads to rapid precipitation of the discharged metals to substrate materials. The relationships between levels of the metals in substrate materials and in the tissues of Asellus aquaticus L. and Erpobdella octoculata (L.) have been investigated.
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