Researchers from the St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences have developed a new way to check the ecological condition of the rivers. They offer to use Viviparus Viviparus water snails as bioindics.
The new method was tested on the Luga River. Scientists have developed a non -invasive system that allows you to fix the heart rhythm of snails without causing them harm. This helps to determine how environmental conditions – for example, water temperature – affect their health.
In addition, experts measured the level of heavy metals in the fabrics of mollusks and in silt at the bottom of the river. Such an integrated approach made it possible to identify sections of the river, where the environmental situation causes concern and requires observation.
The proposed technique can be used to monitor pollution on other reservoirs of the North-Western region of Russia, experts say.
