PARENT SESSION
Poster Session #40: Urban Ecology.
Thursday, August 9, 2001. Presentation from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM. Exhibition Hall
97
Effects of accumulation of hazardous metals on terrestrial isopods (Armadillidium vulgare) in urban environments.
Peters, Eric1, Jagoe, Charles2, Bell, Timothy1, 1 2
ABSTRACT- Terrestrial isopods have long been known to bioaccumulate high levels of Cu, Fe, Zn, Cd, and Pb, and have been used as biological indicators for the presence of these metals. Many parts of metropolitan Chicago, Illinois have a long history of metal contamination from industrial activities and waste production, and there are many point sources of metal contaminants located in close proximity to residential areas. We sampled populations of the terrestrial isopod Armadillidium vulgare collected in metropolitan Chicago and its surrounding suburbs. We analyzed these isopods for a suite of metals using ICP-MS. As expected from previous research, all isopod populations within the city accumulated higher levels of Cu, Fe, Zn, Cd, and Pb than suburban populations. We also noted that the isopods contained elevated concentrations of other less-common but potentially hazardous metals, e.g., Al and Cr. We noted apparent effects of these high metal levels on postnatal development and behavior. Concentrations of several metals across populations showed positive correlations with the degree of fluctuating asymmetry in compound eye lens (ommatidia) number. There are also indications that high nickel concentrations may decrease normal light avoidance responses. As this species is abundant in heavily industrialized areas throughout the Northern Hemisphere, it may provide an ideal sentinel animal species for monitoring effects of metal pollutants in urban environments.
KEY WORDS: metal toxicology, terrestrial isopods, fluctuating asymmetry, behavioral toxicology