“…Despite multiple evidences for changes in the genetic diversity of species exposed to environmental pollutants, such as mutagenic chemicals, heavy metals, or PAHs (Bach & Dahllöf, 2012 ; Theodorakis et al, 2006 ; Ungherese et al, 2010 ; Weigand et al, 2018 ), data on genetic changes in freshwater macroinvertebrates exposed to AOM in rivers are scarce. In most cases, studies on AOM’s impact on the genetic diversity of freshwater macroinvertebrates investigated alterations at the local scale (Inostroza, Vera‐Escalona, et al, 2016 ; Inostroza, Wicht, et al, 2016 ; Švara et al, 2021 ). In a recent study investigating the frequencies of specific alleles to reveal the genetic structure of Gammarus pulex (Linnaeus, 1758) sampled along a pollution gradient in a river, the physiological condition of the amphipods was found to depend on AOM contamination at the respective sampling site, while the genetic structure of G .…”