Biochemical responses of bivalve mollusk unio tumidus in the vicinities of small and runoff hydropower plants.

Abstract

Hydropower is the most important and most economically advantageous branch from the renewal sources of the electro power. However, the environmental suitability of hydropower plants (HPPs) does not based on the biomarker approach. Even the analysis of biological diversity in these areas is very scant. The evaluation of the biochemical responses of aquatic animals that are the early warning markers of the environmental impact unknown. The aim of the present study was the evaluation of the state of the systems of stress and specific markers of toxicity in the bivalve mollusk Unio tumidus in the technological water bodies of HPPs. The mollusks were sampled in the sites at the middle tributaries of the river Dniester from the sites upstream and downstream the dam of small HPP Kasperivska on the r. Seret (in two seasons) and micro runoff HPP on the r. Jbanchik (in summer).