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The biodynamic and saturation models offer promising lines of enquiry to predict the bioaccumulation of metals by aquatic organisms. However, in order to construct these models, the accumulation strategies have to be defined for each metal/organism couple in controlled conditions. This study aims at modelling the waterborne bioaccumulation of Ni and the influence of the water's geochemical properties on this process in a crustacean that is widely distributed in Europe, Gammarus pulex. In the laboratory, G. pulex was exposed to several Ni concentrations (from 0.001 to 100 mg L(-1)) in aquatic microcosms. Our results show that G. pulex is very tolerant to Ni (LC50(48 h)=477 mg L(-1) Ni). Time course experiments enabled the construction of a biodynamic model by determining the uptake (k(u)) and elimination (k(e)) rate constants. When the exposure concentration exceeded 1 mg L(-1) Ni, the metal uptake reached a maximum due to a limited number of binding sites for Ni. Therefore, the organism's maximal capacity to accumulate the metal (B(max)) and the half-saturation constant (K) were determined to establish the saturation model. We showed that the two models are comparable for the lowest exposure concentrations (<1 mg L(-1) Ni), with k(u)/k(e)=B(max)/K. Then, the bioaccumulation of Ni was recorded in waters exhibiting various concentrations of three major ions (Na(+), Mg(2+) and Ca(2+)). Only Ca had an inhibitory effect on the Ni uptake. This study reports for the first time the bioaccumulation of Ni in G. pulex. Because of its high tolerance to Ni and its high capacity to accumulate this metal, this crustacean could be used as an indicator of Ni bioavailability in freshwaters.

Bioaccumulation enables to integrate the ability of aquatic organisms to regulate metals and effects of water chemistry on metal bioavailability. Linking this process to biological responses offers thus promising lines of enquiry for protecting aquatic ecosystems. This study aims at characterizing the mechanisms involved in waterborne Cu bioaccumulation and assessing metal impact on digestive metabolism in an ecosystem engineer widely distributed in Europe, Gammarus pulex. The organism was exposed to several Cu concentrations (from 0.5 to 100 μg/L) in aquatic microcosms to establish kinetic parameters for the construction and comparison of two bioaccumulation models, i.e. the biodynamic and saturation models. Cu uptake was recorded in waters exhibiting various concentrations of Na, Mg and Ca at environmental levels to assess the influence of cationic composition on bioaccumulation. Then, the effect of increasing Cu in exposure media on the digestive metabolism of G. pulex was investigated by measuring enzymatic activities (β-glucosidase, N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase, β-galactosidase). We showed that the saturation model is more suitable than the biodynamic model to describe Cu bioaccumulation in gammarids due to a maximal capacity of animals to accumulate the metal. Cationic composition of water affected insignificantly Cu uptake. All activities of tested enzymes decreased with increasing Cu in exposure media but with different degrees. High correlations were established between the inhibition of enzymatic activities and amounts of Cu bioaccumulated by gammarids. These biological responses could thus provide early-warming of Cu impact on aquatic biota.

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