Periphyton as an integrative indicator of pesticide bioaccumulation, nutrient pollution and fatty acid alterations in agricultural streams.

ABSTRACT: Agricultural activities are a major source of pesticides and nutrients in freshwater ecosystems. However, little is known about the bioaccumulation and toxic impacts of pesticide mixtures on periphyton, an often-overlooked community of benthic microalgae. This study investigates pesticide bioaccumulation in periphyton and its links to nutrient enrichment and shifts in fatty acid profiles, highlighting its role as an integrative indicator in agricultural streams. Periphyton colonized on artificial substrates in three watercourses in southern Sweden was sampled and analyzed over a three-month summer period, representing sites with varying pesticide contamination. Periphyton bioaccumulated up to 30 pesticides, 17 of which were also present in surface water, with distinct profiles between matr

SUBMITTER: Koch A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12949515 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature