Evidence for the presence of allatostatin (AST) A-like neuropeptides in the larval midge Chironomus riparius is reported. Immunohistochemical studies on the nervous system and gut revealed the presence of AST A-like immunoreactive (AST-IR) cells and processes. The nerve cord contained AST-IR processes that originated from cells in the brain and travelled the length of nerve cord to the terminal...

In this study the effects of tributyltin (TBT) and cadmium (Cd) were tested on the freshwater arthropod Chironomus riparius (Diptera) in life-cycle experiments. To this end, the OECD guideline 218 was extended with reproduction relevant parameters (e.g. number of fertile egg masses per female). Based on these reproduction data the number of larvae for next generation and the population growth r...

The effects of the antiepileptic drug carbamazepine (CBZ) were studied in three freshwater invertebrate species representing different taxonomic groups, life histories, and habitats in aquatic ecosystems. The oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus was exposed by way of CBZ-spiked sediments at nominal concentrations between 0.625 and 10 mg/kg dry weight (dw) for 28 days. At the end of the test, repr...

Although it has been suggested that temperature increase may alter the toxic potential of environmental pollutants, few studies have investigated the potential risk of chemical stressors for wildlife under Global Climate Change (GCC) impact. We applied a bifactorial multigeneration study in order to test if GCC conditions alter the effects of low pesticide concentrations on life history and gen...

Chironomids play an important role in the detritus cycle and as a component in brackish- and freshwater benthic and terrestrial food webs. If TBT is present in their environment, then they may accumulate tributyltin (TBT) during their juvenile period, which negatively affects many of their life history characteristics. The aim of this experiment is to test the effects of three TBT sediment conc...

The effects of heavy metals pollution in two Polish rivers on the genome of phylogenetically distant species of the family Chironomidae were studied. The concentrations of Pb, Zn and Cd in the channel sediments of Chechło and Biała Przemsza Rivers were many times higher than reference data, as a result of over 50 years of the lead and zinc ores extraction. In the studied species Prodiamesa oliv...

The gradual heterogeneity of climatic factors poses varying selection pressures across geographic distances that leave signatures of clinal variation in the genome. Separating signatures of clinal adaptation from signatures of other evolutionary forces, such as demographic processes, genetic drift and adaptation, to nonclinal conditions of the immediate local environment is a major challenge. H...