Ecological Systems and Devices Annotation << Back COMPARATIVE SENSITIVITY OF GASTROPODS PLANORBELLA DURYI WETHERBY AT VARIOUS LIFE CYCLE STAGES TO HEAVY METALS EXPOSURE G.V. Kravtsova, D.M. Gershkovich Nowadays, the anthropogenic influence on aquatic ecosystems is increasing, including those associated with the release of potentially toxic substances into the aquatic environment. In this regard, the tasks of searching for new test organisms sensitive to various kinds of influences and developing methods for conducting ecotoxicological experiments remain especially urgent. The study showed the suitability of warm-water gastropods Planorbella duryi Wetherby for continuous laboratory cultivation. A technique for obtaining mollusk clutches separated from the substrate, suitable for various manipulations was described. The paper describes the effects of the impact of reference toxicants, containing heavy metal ions, potassium dichromate and cadmium sulfate on the biological parameters of a laboratory culture of P. duryi mollusks at different stages of the life cycle. In experiments up to 60 days long, significant effects of the impact of heavy metals on the survival rate of juvenile molluscs, the fertility of adults, and the release of juveniles from eggs were shown. Indicators such as the change in linear height and weight, as well as the survival rate of adults, showed the least sensitivity to the effects of heavy metals in the studied concentrations. When exposed to potassium dichromate at concentrations of 0,035…3,5 mg Cr/l, morphological abnormalities were observed in mollusks at the stage of embryonic development, which makes it possible to classify this life stage as sensitive to the effects of potentially toxic substances. Keywords: Cadmium; chromium; Planorbella duryi; test functions; life stages. DOI: 10.25791/esip.1.2022.1281 Pp. 41-47.