A field microcosm method to determine the impact of sediments and soils contaminated by road runoff on indigenous aquatic macroinvertebrates

Abstract

A field-based microcosm method was used to determine whether sediments and soils that receive road runoff are toxic to indigenous aquatic macroinvertebrates present in the Greater Melbourne Area (GMA), Australia. Sediments and soils collected from areas draining three major highways were placed in 20 L microcosms along the littoral zone of a non-polluted wetland. Aquatic insects that emerge from the wetland randomly lay eggs in the microcosms. The occurrence and abundance of key taxa in these microcosms was measured to determine toxicity of the sediments. Several taxa responded in different ways to these sediments. The abundance of Paratanytarsus grimmii, Polypedilum leei, and Oxyethira colu..