Aluminium content of stream animals at low pH — is that biomonitoring?

Summary

Benthic invertebrates from streams of pH 4 and 6 have been analysed with respect to their aluminium content. Shredders/decomposers contained more aluminium than predators, the difference being more pronounced at the lower pH. The results were mainly attributed to adsorption of aluminium to organic material. Also various organs of brown trout were analysed, and highest levels of aluminium were found in the stomach. In a second part of this paper we discuss different types of biomonitoring, and conclude that results of e.g. aluminium content of organisms in several ways are important in this connection.