Biodiagnostic Methods in Environmental Chemistry

Bioindication

Bioindication is the determination of biologically significant loads based on the reactions of living organisms and their communities to them. This method has been used since the reliable identification of living beings of animal and plant origin. Biologically significant loads, as a rule, refer to all types of anthropogenic pollution. The development of methods and criteria that could adequately reflect the level of anthropogenic impacts, considering the complex nature of pollution based on bioindication, is the main task of environmental monitoring.

Bioindication involves the analysis of visible (or imperceptible damage) or abnormal signs of stress exposure in free-living organisms in their natural environment (Parmar et al., 2016). Bioindicators include biological processes, species, or communities and are used to assess the quality of the environment and its changes over time. Organisms and communities of organisms, whose vital functions are closely correlated with certain environmental factors and can be used to assess them, are called bioindicators. All species (or groups of species) tolerate a limited range of chemical, physical and biological conditions that we can use to assess environmental quality. Consistent monitoring makes it possible to diagnose early disturbances in the most sensitive components of biotic communities. The first application of bioindication in geological research is known. Schemes of plants - indicators of rocks were presented at the end of the 19^th-century Russian scientist A.P. Karpinsky.

The development of bioindication methods in the field of ecology has made it possible to diagnose various environmental objects. Basically, these are water and soil resources, and bottom sediments, which are subject to pollution both from the air and the direct flow of wastewater of various degrees of purification. Environmental changes are often associated with anthropogenic forcing or natural factors of stressors (e g, drought, late spring frosts), although anthropogenic factors of stressors are the main focus of bioindicator research. Recently, the range of bioindicators has expanded significantly, which helps environmental researchers in the study of all types of environments (i.e., aquatic and terrestrial). In this case, all major taxonomic groups of bioindicators are used, including animals and plants.