Clean tap water in Poznań, Poland is secretly reliant on eight freshwater mussels.
The tiny shellfish warn about water quality issues in the Warta River. The river provides water to Poznań, a city with 1.4 million inhabitants. It flows through densely populated and industrial regions of Poland, some of which are contaminated with heavy metals.
Natural Protectors
Because mussels react strongly to environmental changes, they’re viewed as bio-indicators. The shellfish stay open when the water is clean, and close when they encounter polluted water.
The city uses artificial and biological systems to monitor and ensure that the water in its pipes is safe for drinking. Spring-loaded sensors glued on to the eight mussel shells work together with a network of computers. When four out of eight mussels close, the municipal water system shuts down.
Each team of eight sentinels is on the job for 3 months. After 90 days, they get accustomed to their new surroundings and lose their sensitivity to water quality issues. The hidden heroes are then gently tossed back to their original river habitat.
Interesting facts
- Freshwater mussels can live for 100 years
- Mussels record their age by adding rings to their shells, similar to the rings of a tree trunk.
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