Elevated environmental levels of elements originating from anthropogenic activities threaten natural communities and public health, as these elements can persist and bioaccumulate in the environment. However, their environmental risks and bioaccumulation patterns are often habitat-, species- and element-specific. We studied the bioaccumulation patterns of 11 elements in seven freshwater taxa in post-mining habitats in the Czech Republic, ranging from less polluted mining ponds to highly polluted fly ash lagoons. We found nonlinear, power-law relationships between the environmental and tissue concentrations of the elements, which may explain differences in bioaccumulation factors (BAF) reported in the literature. Tissue concentrations were driven by the environmental concentrations in non-essential elements (Al, As, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb and V), but this dependence was limited in essential elements (Cu, Mn, Se and Zn). Tissue concentrations of most elements were also more closely related to substrate than to water concentrations. Bioaccumulation was habitat specific in eight elements: stronger in mining ponds for Al and Pb, and stronger in fly ash lagoons for As, Cu, Mn, Pb, Se, V and Zn, although the differences were often minor. Bioaccumulation of some elements further increased in mineral-rich localities. Proximity to substrate, rather than trophic level, drove increased bioaccumulation levels across taxa. This highlights the importance of substrate as a pollutant reservoir in standing freshwaters and suggests that benthic taxa, such as molluscs (e.g., Physella) and other macroinvertebrates (e.g., Nepa), constitute good bioindicators. Despite the higher environmental risks in fly ash lagoons than in mining ponds, the observed ability of freshwater biota to sustain pollution supports the conservation potential of post-industrial sites. The power law approach used here to quantify and disentangle the effects of various bioaccumulation drivers may be helpful in additional contexts, increasing our ability to predict the effects of other contaminants and environmental hazards on biota.

Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Entomology Branišovská 1160 31 37005 České Budějovice Czechia

Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Entomology Branišovská 1160 31 37005 České Budějovice Czechia; Charles University Faculty of Science Department of Ecology Viničná 7 12844 Prague Czechia

Charles University Faculty of Science Department of Zoology Viničná 7 12844 Prague Czechia

Charles University Faculty of Science Institute of Environmental Studies Benátská 2 12801 Prague Czechia

HAS Den Bosch University of Applied Science Department of Biology Animal and Environment Has Green Academy Po Box 90108 5200 MA's Hertogenbosch the Netherlands

University of South Bohemia Faculty of Science Departments of Ecosystem Biology and Botany Branišovská 1760 37005 České Budějovice Czechia

University of South Bohemia Faculty of Science Departments of Ecosystem Biology and Botany Branišovská 1760 37005 České Budějovice Czechia; Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Entomology Branišovská 1160 31 37005 České Budějovice Czechia

University of South Bohemia Faculty of Science Departments of Ecosystem Biology and Botany Branišovská 1760 37005 České Budějovice Czechia; Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Entomology Branišovská 1160 31 37005 České Budějovice Czechia; cE3c Centre for Ecology Evolution and Environmental Changes and CHANGE Global Change and Sustainability Institute Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon Edifício C2 Campo Grande 1749 016 Lisbon Portugal

University of South Bohemia Faculty of Science Departments of Ecosystem Biology and Botany Branišovská 1760 37005 České Budějovice Czechia; Masaryk University Faculty of Science Department of Botany and Zoology Kotlářská 2 61137 Brno Czechia

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