Journal
CHEMISTRY AND ECOLOGY
Volume 35, Issue 2, Pages 179-190Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/02757540.2018.1546295
Keywords
Araneae; heavy metals; lead; copper; concentration; webs
Funding
- Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Higher Education [0401/0004/17]
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Studies on the heavy metal concentrations on spider webs in relation to the pathways of pollution penetration (external and internal) have yet to be performed. This work assesses the concentration levels of two heavy metals: essential copper (Cu) and toxic lead (Pb) in spider webs and spiders (females, males and juveniles). Spiders divided into three treatment groups were exposed to the heavy metals in their diet as prey (fruit flies and mealworms larvae) were artificially contaminated with Cu and Pb. In general, we found higher rates of Cu compared to Pb concentrations in spiders and their webs. A positive correlation between levels of Cu and Pb in webs and spiders was found. Males had higher concentrations of both metals Cu and Pb in their bodies and webs compared to females. In an additional experiment, washed webs had significantly less metals than unwashed suggesting the dominance of external pollution in the contamination pathway.
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