Invertebrates Minimize Accumulation of Metals and Metalloids in Contaminated Environments Joerg Schaller & Carsten Brackhage & E. Gert Dudel Received: 13 July 2010 / Accepted: 15 September 2010 / Published online: 28 September 2010 # Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010 Abstract Many studies were conducted measuring the lethal concentration of pollutants by using a contaminated solution or polluted sediments. Consid- ering the impact of polluted food on mortality and uptake quantity of invertebrate shredders in batch cultures, little is known about, e.g. uranium and cadmium. Consequently, we investigated in situ the impact of metal and metalloid polluted food and water on Gammarus pulex L. under nature-like conditions. In contrast to other publications, a very low mortality rate of the invertebrates was found. Furthermore, fixation of elements by G. pulex was shown to be low compared to initial concentrations. Fixation of non essential metals and metalloids is shown to take place mainly on the surface of the invertebrates. This is deduced from easy desorption of a relevant amount of fixed metals and metalloids. It is concluded that the accumulation of metals and metalloids in situ under nature-like conditions within the food web via invertebrate shredders is very low. The invertebrates seem to minimize the uptake of non essential elements in the presence of nutrient-rich food even in habitats with higher contamination levels. Hence, invertebrates seem to be adapted to higher contami- nation levels in their favourable habitats. Keywords Fixation . Avoidance . Invertebrates . Leaf litter . Chemical speciation . Desorption kinetics 1 Introduction High metal and metalloid concentrations in ground and surface waters are a global problem, enhanced by mining activities (Jakubick and Kahnt 2002). These high concentrations may be responsible for shifting food webs and hence changing ecosystem processes. A reason for these changes probably is the toxicity of metals and metalloids on water organisms and the possible enrichment in the food web (Alves et al. 2009; Borgmann et al. 2005; Gopalakrishnan et al. 2007). Gammarus pulex L., used in this investigation as sample species, is an important food base for fish (Winkelmann et al. 2007) and a key species for processing of leaf litter in freshwater ecosystems (Robinson et al. 1998). Most of the species in these ecosystems are described as very sensitive to inor- ganic pollutants (e.g. Hyalella azteca and G. pulex) (Milani et al. 2003; Wang and Zauke 2004) when tested with contaminated water and sediments with a relevant inorganic share. Little is known using highly Water Air Soil Pollut (2011) 218:227–233 DOI 10.1007/s11270-010-0637-0 J. Schaller (*) : C. Brackhage : E. G. Dudel Dresden University of Technology, 01062 Dresden, Germany e-mail: schaller@forst.tu-dresden.de J. Schaller : C. Brackhage : E. G. Dudel Institute of General Ecology and Environmental Protection, Tharandt, Germany