Suspended matter quality measurement with chironomids

In 2019, the interdisciplinary experimental platform LéXPLORE was installed on Lake Geneva. The Ecotox Centre is collecting suspended matter at the platform over several months and investigating which effects the suspended matter quality has on chironomids in different seasons. For this purpose, the contamination of the suspended matter with metals and organic pollutants is determined. Secondly, the bioaccumulation of these substances in the chironomids is measured and the expression level of biomarker genes  observed. In addition, it is investigated in the lab how variably chironomids react to these substances and how strongly this reaction is influenced by other environmental factors. The aim is to better assess how environmental pollution in the field can be assessed with the help of biomarkers in chironomids.