In the current study the response of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities to multiple anthropogenic stressors in a typical lowland river that crosses pristine sectors situated toward headwaters, as well as densely populated urban areas was assessed. We wished to develop an effective bioassay procedure for assessing water and sediment quality in lotic ecosystems from Romania with the aid of macroinvertebrate organisms correlated with physico-chemical parameters and pollutants in both dissolved fractions and material bonded to sediment. A fast scanning approach of the river, from springs to the mouth, was employed. We found significant changes in physico-chemical parameters along a longitudinal gradient, the highest values being registered within the urban area and heavily agriculturally developed areas. The macroinvertebrates showed affinities for certain abiotic factors, emphasising their potential use for future studies as reliable ecological indicators, shaped by a synergic combination of urban effects and magnitude of type of land use.

在当前的研究中，水生大型无脊椎动物群落对一条典型的低地河流中的多种人为压力源的反应进行了评估，该河流穿过位于源头的原始区域以及人口稠密的城市地区。我们希望开发一种有效的生物测定程序，以在与物理化学参数相关的大型无脊椎动物生物体以及溶解部分和与沉积物结合的材料中的污染物的帮助下，评估来自罗马尼亚的水生态系统中的水和沉积物质量。采用了快速扫描河流的方法，从泉水到河口。我们发现物理化学参数沿纵向梯度发生了显着变化，最高值出现在市区和农业发达地区。