Modeling the chemical and toxic water status of the Scheldt basin (Belgium), using aquatic invertebrate assemblages and an advanced modeling method
Gevrey, M.; Comte, L.; de Zwart, D.; de Deckere, E.; Lek, S. (2010). Modeling the chemical and toxic water status of the Scheldt basin (Belgium), using aquatic invertebrate assemblages and an advanced modeling method. Environ. Pollut. 158(10): 3209-3218. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2010.07.006
Self-Organizing Maps have been used on monitoring sites in several Scheldt sub-basins to identify the main aquatic invertebrate assemblages and relate them to the physico-chemical and toxic water status. 12 physico-chemical variables and 2 estimates of toxic risk were available for a dataset made up of a total of 489 records. Two of the five defining clusters reflecting a relatively clean environment were composed by very well diversified functional feeding groups and sensitive taxa. The cleanest assemblage was mainly linked to the sites from the Nete sub-basin. The three other clusters were inversely described with a dominance of oligochaetes and deposit feeders as well as a bad water quality.Such an analysis can be used to support ecological status assessment of rivers and thus might be useful for decision-makers in the evaluation of chemical and toxic water status, as required by the EU Water Framework Directive.
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