Effects of a diesel spill on freshwater macroinvertebrates in two urban watercourses,Wiltshire, UK

The impacts of a spill of approximately 9800 L of diesel on a small stream and the River Ray (near Swindon, Wiltshire, UK) were examined using kick-net sampling of freshwater macroinvertebrate families at impacted and reference sites. Initial impacts (10 days after the spill) 50 m downstream of the spill were severe, with only 9% survival of individuals (excluding oligochaete worms) and 56% survival of invertebrate families. The percentage survival of macroinvertebrates increased progressing downstream from the spill, with no detectable impacts beyond approximately 4 km downstream. The crustacean families Asellidae and Gammaridae were particularly sensitive to the diesel spill. The recovery of the macroinvertebrate community was assessed 13.5 months after the spill. At this time, recovery was almost complete, with only minor impacts at the sites closest to the spill. The use of live laboratory sorting of samples from impacted sites provided essential information on the impacts of the diesel spill.