Urban streams are exposed to pollution from stormwater runoff, which carries various pollutants like oils, heavy metals, and pet waste. What is more, prolonged dry periods and extreme weather events facilitate the mobilization of these pollutants. While the effects of these pollutants are well-studied, there’s a lack of information on the combined effects of bulk stormwater and leaf litter pollution. A 28-day experiment exposed Echinogammarus berilloni to different water types (river, rainwater, and urban runoff) and organic matter sources (natural and urban litter). They measured Echinogammarus survival, growth and food consumption rates.

Results point to a weak detrimental effect of urban stormwater on stream invertebrate performance.