Development of a Library of Responses for an Early-Warning Biomonitoring System to Detect and Identify Various Aquatic Contaminants

Abstract

Biomonitors can be implemented in aquatic ecosystems to continuously assess water quality, but existing monitors are still reliant on a single species and unable to identify any stressor. A library of responses could potentially address these drawbacks by stereotyping the responses of several aquatic species to different contaminants. A model for the library was developed by conducting a bioassay on Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and collecting the response data of Daphnia magna, Hyalella azteca and Lumbriculus variegatus from published ecotoxicological studies. Multivariate statistical tools were then employed to process the response data set and evaluate the ability of the model to distinguish contaminations by atrazine and tributyltin. Based on preliminary tests, the library was able to detect and identify each contaminant within 4 hours with an accuracy of 97%. These findings supported the integration of a library of responses in a biomonitoring system to provide a more comprehensive water quality assessment.