Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Gilchrist, Sandra

Area of Concentration

Environmental Studies, Biology

Abstract

Biomonitoring systems are used for monitoring a variable in an environment by using a change in organisms in the environment as an indicator. Many different species have been used as bioindicators, with bivalves being one of them. As adults, many bivalve species remain sedentary, where they can easily be handled for testing. Due to their filter feeding nature, they will react and close their valves when exposed to polluted areas. Studies have shown that bivalves are sensitive to many of the chemicals regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency in America and the European Union. By using sensors to monitor the state of their valves, researchers were able to create systems that could set off alarms when the bivalves closed, indicating that pollutants are present. This system was implemented at the Dębiec Water Treatment Plant in Poznań, Poland in 1992 as one of the first instances of the system being used to monitor drinking water. Since it monitors water constantly, sensors can alert workers about pollutants faster than manual testing can. The system has grown and is now used all throughout Poland, and similar systems are in use around the world.

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