MELIMEX, an experimental heavy metal pollution study: Effects of increased heavy metal load on crustacea plankton

Abstract

The crustacea plankton of three artificial model lakes in Lake Baldegg was observed during 15 months. Two were loaded continuously with low concentrations of five heavy metals (Hg, Cu, Cd, Zn, Pb).It was attempted to explain the significant lower abundances of the loaded limno-corrals. The results suggest that the decrease was not, or only partially, caused by the lower food supply in the loaded limnocorrals, but directly by the heavy metals.Accompaning laboratory tests show significantly increased egg-development-times for two species of those animals from the loaded limno-corrals. Two other species show a decrease of the egg production/♀. It cannot be determined if increased mortality of particular animal stages was caused by heavy metals.