The importance of surface adsorption and pH in metal accumulation by chironomids

Abstract Metal body burdens of larval and adult chironomids varied nonlinearly with H+. Metal loss during emergence was an indicator of metal adsorption to the exoskeleton. This adsorbed portion was lower for chironomids collected from lakes of pH 4.4 or 6.1 than for those from lakes of pH 5.1 to 5.5. Pb accumulation was inversely proportional to pH, but Cd, Al, Cu and Ni body burdens were lower at pH 4.4 than at pH greater than 5.1. Short-term …