Biomonitoring of freshwater ecosystems in the area of the “Cilento Vallo di Diano e Alburni” National Park (Italy)

The temporal and spatial variability in the chemical properties of freshwater ecosystems demand for novel approaches tackling the rapid changes induced by anthropogenic activities. The possible approaches can be divided into two classes: high resolution and integration strategies. The biomonitoring through accumulator organisms falls into the latter group and can be adopted in deriving time-integrated measures of environmental contamination and accurate spatial gradients. To accomplish these goals, the organisms should linearly accumulate pollutants in relation to the environmental concentrations, being able to live in the selected environments and be common, easily recognized and managed. In searching for better biomonitors matching these criteria, a large field biomonitoring study was performed in the area of two of the main freshwater ecosystems of the “Cilento Vallo di Diano e Alburni” National Park (Italy). Here a novel biomonitor of potentially toxic elements, the macrophytic alga Chara gymnophylla, was validated using a long-established biomonitor, the aquatic moss Fontinalis antipyretica, by exposing the species in purposely developed devices, enabling their floating at the water surface, for 21 days. The experimental setting allowed not only validating Ch. gymnophylla, but also deriving spatial concentration gradients of Al, As, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Si, V and Zn, measured trough ICP-OES, in an area of exceptional natural value. The latter achievement relies on the analysis of the joint responses of biomonitors through novel data analyses, defining a reference framework for the biomonitorg of freshwater ecosystems.