The use of Lemna minor L. (Lemnaceae) as assessor of water quality in the Big South Fork River, Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee-Kentucky

This research investigated the applicability of the response of Lemna minor L. as an indicative, site specific, bioassay of water quality within a riverine system. This standardized bioassay test (ASTM, 1992) does not quantify or specify pollutants, but provides a qualitative, seasonal assessment of phytotoxicity at the primary producer level of the food chain for sample sites. Our intention was to interpret the growth constraints of accessible site water collections in terms of the integrated capability of the BSF as a biotic substrate. It was concluded that Lemna minor can detect river contamination by quantifying growth responses. The method can be expanded to encompass food chain impacts of contaminants at various sites at various times, and to identify places needing more intensive analyses and quantifications.