continuously or with such a frequency, that
provides a reliable assessment of its functional state.
5. The organisms used shall be characterized by
rather long life cycle, for example, several
years.
6. Biosensor organisms shall have sensitivity to
changes of physical–chemical factors of the
environment, rather well studied from the
point of view of functioning their vital systems (e.g. cardiac, respiratory, excretory systems and locomotor behavior), to be
convenient for application of ecophysiological evaluation methods of the physiological
state assessment status and to be suitable for
non-invasive fixing measuring sensors on
their bodies.
7. For more objective assessment of environment quality, it is desirable to use not one but
several organisms of different taxonomic
origin, which are characterized by a different
level of sensitivity to toxicants. It will
increase reliability of assessment of quality of
environmental components and improve a
testing scale for possible contaminants.
The necessity of choice of representatives of
various species among specified classes and types
(Decapoda and Mollusca) was caused by their
difference in adaptive capacities and cardiac
responses to disturbances (both chemical and
physical modalities). It expanded a possibility of
application of developed noninvasive method for
the analysis of a physiological condition of animals and allowed to estimate water quality in various natural, laboratory and industrial conditions.
Mostly suitable organisms for the application
in such monitoring systems are freshwater and
marine bivalves and freshwater crayfish (Brown
et al. 2004; Depledge and Galloway 2005; Füreder and Reynolds 2003; Reynolds and SoutyGrosset 2012; Kholodkevich 2007). Parameters
of locomotor activity (valve movement of
bivalves) and/or cardiac activity, for the both
types of the invertebrates, are usually used. Significant variations in mentioned above parameters can indicate negative changes in ecological
state (health) of an ecosystem the animals live in.
In the case of surface water quality control, in
water supply stations in State Unitary Enterprises
“Vodokanal of Saint-Petersburg” we are faced a
problem of a very soft water of water source—
the Neva River (the water containing not enough
amount of calcium, magnesium and other substances for their well-being), only a few of the
invertebrates can survive and function sustainably in such a condition for a long time. Besides,
the water of the Neva River, as well as of the
Ladoga Lake, from which it runs out, contains
fewer amounts of phytoplankton and detritus that
needs for the existence of these bivalve species.
As a result, mussels as Dreissena cannot live in
that water, and Unio and Anodonta do not exist
normally in the Neva River water flow for a long
time. For example, being exposed to the system,
Anodonta exhibited abnormal patterns in their
activity after 8 day of their keeping in industrial
system conditions. The character of the valve
movements is sharply changed, with the periods
of shells opening that are replaced by the periods
of fully closed ones. So, a mollusk’s normal
functioning is appeared to be disrupted and it
cannot be used as biosensor.
Therefore, it was decided to use other aquatic
test organisms (bio-indicators), namely, representatives of crustaceans (Crustacea, Decapoda):
crayfish Astacus astacus and Astacus leptodactylus. Both of these species are found in the
rivers and lakes of the Russian North-West, in
particular, in the basin of the Neva River. Comparative studies of these two species of crayfish
have shown that Astacus leptodactylus are more
suitable to be used as test organisms, as more
adaptive (Cucerzis 1968; Holdich 2002). It is
characterized by faster acclimation to the individual aquarium-keeping, rapid recovery after a
short-term stress and high tolerance range to
temperature changes. The simplicity of keeping
crayfish in industrial conditions includes 1 per
3 days feeding and cleaning of the aquariums
with animals.
In 1999 in SRCES RAS, an original fiberoptic method for recording cardiac activity of
Crustacea (Decapoda) was developed (Fedotov
et al. 2000). On the basis of the proposed
method, the automatic system of non-invasive
130
S. V. Kholodkevich et al.
provides a reliable assessment of its functional state.
5. The organisms used shall be characterized by
rather long life cycle, for example, several
years.
6. Biosensor organisms shall have sensitivity to
changes of physical–chemical factors of the
environment, rather well studied from the
point of view of functioning their vital systems (e.g. cardiac, respiratory, excretory systems and locomotor behavior), to be
convenient for application of ecophysiological evaluation methods of the physiological
state assessment status and to be suitable for
non-invasive fixing measuring sensors on
their bodies.
7. For more objective assessment of environment quality, it is desirable to use not one but
several organisms of different taxonomic
origin, which are characterized by a different
level of sensitivity to toxicants. It will
increase reliability of assessment of quality of
environmental components and improve a
testing scale for possible contaminants.
The necessity of choice of representatives of
various species among specified classes and types
(Decapoda and Mollusca) was caused by their
difference in adaptive capacities and cardiac
responses to disturbances (both chemical and
physical modalities). It expanded a possibility of
application of developed noninvasive method for
the analysis of a physiological condition of animals and allowed to estimate water quality in various natural, laboratory and industrial conditions.
Mostly suitable organisms for the application
in such monitoring systems are freshwater and
marine bivalves and freshwater crayfish (Brown
et al. 2004; Depledge and Galloway 2005; Füreder and Reynolds 2003; Reynolds and SoutyGrosset 2012; Kholodkevich 2007). Parameters
of locomotor activity (valve movement of
bivalves) and/or cardiac activity, for the both
types of the invertebrates, are usually used. Significant variations in mentioned above parameters can indicate negative changes in ecological
state (health) of an ecosystem the animals live in.
In the case of surface water quality control, in
water supply stations in State Unitary Enterprises
“Vodokanal of Saint-Petersburg” we are faced a
problem of a very soft water of water source—
the Neva River (the water containing not enough
amount of calcium, magnesium and other substances for their well-being), only a few of the
invertebrates can survive and function sustainably in such a condition for a long time. Besides,
the water of the Neva River, as well as of the
Ladoga Lake, from which it runs out, contains
fewer amounts of phytoplankton and detritus that
needs for the existence of these bivalve species.
As a result, mussels as Dreissena cannot live in
that water, and Unio and Anodonta do not exist
normally in the Neva River water flow for a long
time. For example, being exposed to the system,
Anodonta exhibited abnormal patterns in their
activity after 8 day of their keeping in industrial
system conditions. The character of the valve
movements is sharply changed, with the periods
of shells opening that are replaced by the periods
of fully closed ones. So, a mollusk’s normal
functioning is appeared to be disrupted and it
cannot be used as biosensor.
Therefore, it was decided to use other aquatic
test organisms (bio-indicators), namely, representatives of crustaceans (Crustacea, Decapoda):
crayfish Astacus astacus and Astacus leptodactylus. Both of these species are found in the
rivers and lakes of the Russian North-West, in
particular, in the basin of the Neva River. Comparative studies of these two species of crayfish
have shown that Astacus leptodactylus are more
suitable to be used as test organisms, as more
adaptive (Cucerzis 1968; Holdich 2002). It is
characterized by faster acclimation to the individual aquarium-keeping, rapid recovery after a
short-term stress and high tolerance range to
temperature changes. The simplicity of keeping
crayfish in industrial conditions includes 1 per
3 days feeding and cleaning of the aquariums
with animals.
In 1999 in SRCES RAS, an original fiberoptic method for recording cardiac activity of
Crustacea (Decapoda) was developed (Fedotov
et al. 2000). On the basis of the proposed
method, the automatic system of non-invasive
130
S. V. Kholodkevich et al.