Microbial assessment of water, sediment and tilapia fish of Lake Nasser, Egypt

Abstract

ABSTRACT Lake Nasser is the main source of fresh water in Egypt. This study concerns microbial assessment of water, sediments and fish (Oreochromis niloticus) collected from 5 inlets or khors of Lake Nasser (Rahma, Garf Hussein, Korosko, Toushka and Abu Simbel). The results indicate that the water and sediment samples collected from the southern part of Lake Nasser (Toushka) recorded a higher microbial load than the northern part. The highest number of pathogenic bacteria was also recorded in the southern part of Lake Nasser (Toushka and Abu Simbel). Also a higher bacterial load in/on fish (O. niloticus) was recorded at Rahma and Toushka sites. In general, the results of this study show that Lake Nasser is exposed to pollution, especially in its southern part. Therefore, regular monitoring and assessment are necessary to maintain the quality of Lake Nasser.