**Metals Toxic Effects in Aquatic Ecosystems: Modulators of Water Quality Metals Toxic Effects in Aquatic Ecosystems: Modulators of Water Quality**

Stefania Gheorghe, Catalina Stoica, Gabriela Geanina Vasile, Mihai Nita-Lazar, Elena Stanescu and Irina Eugenia Lucaciu Gabriela Geanina Vasile, Mihai Nita-Lazar, Elena Stanescu and Irina Eugenia Lucaciu

Stefania Gheorghe, Catalina Stoica,

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/65744

### **Abstract**

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58 Water Quality

The topic of this work was based on the assessment of aquatic systems quality related to the persistent metal pollution. The use of aquatic organisms as bioindicators of metal pollution allowed the obtaining of valuable information about the acute and chronic toxicity on common Romanian aquatic species and the estimation of the environment quality. Laboratory toxicity results showed that Cd, As, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Zr, and Ti have toxic to very toxic effects on *Cyprinus carpio*, and this observation could raise concerns because of its importance as a fishery resource. The benthic invertebrates' analysis showed that bioaccumulation level depends on species, type of metals, and sampling sites. The metal analysis from the shells of three mollusk species showed that the metals involved in the metabolic processes (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Mg) were more accumulated than the toxic ones (Pb, Cd). The bioaccumulation factors of metals in benthic inverte‐ brates were subunitary, which indicated a slow bioaccumulation process in the studied aquatic ecosystems. The preliminary aquatic risk assessment of Ni, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, As, and Zn on *C. carpio* revealed insignificant to moderate risk considering the measured environmental concentrations, acute and long‐term effects and environmental compartment.

**Keywords:** metals, fish, crustaceans, benthic invertebrates, toxicity, LC50, MATC, bio‐ accumulation, risk

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© 2017 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
