Measurement of community photosynthesis and respiration in outdoor artificial streams

In a system of six outdoor artificial streams, diurnal oxygen and temperature cycles were continuously monitored using probes coupled to a data logger. Data were used to calculate diurnal photosynthesis and respiration of communities of periphyton and invertebrates. The value of this method in ecotoxicology is illustrated by reference to experiments with the herbicide atrazine and the insecticide lindane.