The determination of arsenic accumulation in Chironomus riparius Meigen (Diptera: Chironomidae) and its significance

Despite the widespread occurrence of arsenic in natural waterways, there is little data regarding As accumulation in benthic invertebrates such as chironomids. The potential for arsenic accumulation is significant since chironomids are already known to accumulate other metals at levels of concern for trophic transfer. Using an iterative approach to extract all putative As species from Chironomus riparius, we measured the whole body arsenic burdens of adults reared in water cultures containing 0, 10, 150, 400, and 1000 µg As/ L. Tissue digestion and As recovery were optimized using standard reference tissues and arsenic standards. These data contribute to our understanding of chironomids and their role as conduits of energy and pollution transfer between other aquatic organisms and the terrestrial environment.