ACCUMULATION OF INORGANIC AND ORGANIC POLLUTANTS BY BIOFILMS IN THE AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT

In a partly urbanized catchment to the south of Trier, Germany, short term variations in river sediment compounds as well as the bioaccumula tion of pollutants on surface associated microbial coatings (biofilms) were investigated weekly during a period of six months. Concentration s of selected heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarb ons (PAH), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and for microbial character isation protein, carbohydrate and uronic acid were analyzed. Sorption processes on biofilms were determined by temporal variations in pollut ants and microbial parameters and through the comparison of sorbed sub stances in biofilms and sediments. The results show, that sorption eve nts on biofilms play an important and dynamic role in spring and summe r for transport and accumulation of the investigated pollutants in the aquatic environment. The amount of pollutants sorbed on sediment part icles is not only dependent on the particulate bound or solved polluta nts in the river water, but is strongly controlled by the changing con ditions of the biofilms.