Heavy metals and the community structure of macroinvertebrate assemblages in aquatic ecosystems: a systematic review

Assessing heavy metal contamination in aquatic ecosystems is crucial to understanding its effects on macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity, as these organisms serve as sensitive indicators of water quality. Among other heavy metals, cadmium and copper pose significant risks to aquatic ecosystems. We aimed to analyze the relationship of cadmium (mg/kg) and copper (mg/kg) contamination on macroinvertebrate communities using research articles published between 2014 and 2024. A total of 2,491 articles were identified from Scopus, ProQuest, and Google Scholar, and the selection process, guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) criteria, narrowed the studies down to 28 articles that met the inclusion requirements. The studies reported cadmium concentrations ranging from 0.001 mg/kg to 21.90 mg/kg, with the highest concentration recorded in streams and the lowest in lagoon and rivers. copper levels varied from 0.001 mg/kg to 745.0 mg/kg, with the highest concentrations found in lakes, and the lowest observed in estuaries, streams, rivers, and lagoons. Findings revealed that the lowest concentrations (0.001mg/kg) of cadmium and copper corresponded with a high abundance of macroinvertebrates, reaching over 77,000 individuals. Conversely, at the highest levels of copper, macroinvertebrate abundance dropped to as low as 22, while at elevated cadmium levels in separate ecosystem, the abundance was 6707. Thus, this study highlights the possible influence of cadmium and copper contamination on the abundance, diversity, and ecological roles of macroinvertebrate communities in aquatic ecosystems.

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