Assessment of Nickel Contamination in Lakes Using the Phantom Midge Chaoborus As a Biomonitor

Nickel (Ni) can be present in concentrations of concern in waters near mining and industrial sites. We tested species of the phantom midge Chaoborus as a biomonitor for this trace metal by collecting water and Chaoborus larvae from 15 lakes located along a Ni gradient mainly in the vicinity of smelters located in Sudbury, ON, Canada. We measured pH, trace metals, major ions, as well as inorganic and organic carbon concentrations in lakewater for use in calculating ambient metal speciation using the Windermere Humic Aqueous Model (WHAM). Nickel concentrations in Chaoborus species varied widely among our study lakes and could be related to concentrations of the free Ni2+ ion in lakewater if competitive interactions with hydrogen ions (H+) were taken into account. We verified this inhibitory effect in the laboratory by exposing Chaoborus punctipennis to constant free Ni2+ ion concentrations at various HI ion concentrations. As expected, larvae exposed to high concentrations of H+ ions accumulated less Ni. Overall, our results suggest that Chaoborus larvae would be an excellent biomonitor for Ni in lakewater and as such would be a useful component of risk assessment strategies designed to evaluate Ni exposure to aquatic organisms in lakes.