Assessment of the quality of freshwater ecosystems based on the functional condition of bivalved mollusks

Abstract

An approach is proposed for ranking the quality of freshwater ecosystems by the state of bivalve mollusks living in them. Cardioactivity indicators and accumulation of metals in the tissues of the mollusks from various waters of the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland and the Rybinsk Reservoir were used to characterize the ecosystems, and an original hyperosmotic test was used to analyze the functional state of the mollusks.