Use of Epiphytic Diatoms in Cyperus Papyrus L. As Bioindicators in the Assessment of the Health of the Upper Euphrates River Between the Haditha Dam and Al-Baghdadi, Iraq

Abstract

The aim of this study is to use epiphytic diatoms in Cyperus papyrus L. plant as biological indicators for estimating the water quality of the upper Euphrates River between Haditha Dam and Al-Baghdadi. Biodiversity and biological indicators for water quality estimation, along with the Canadian Water Quality Index. The study showed that the water of the upper Euphrates River is warm, light alkaline, the electrical conductivity and the total dissolved soled of water affected by agricultural land water and human activities, turbidity, total hardness and the biological oxygen demand, chloride and sodium did not exceed the permissible limits, while the values of calcium, nitrate and phosphate exceeded the permissible limits. And that the calcium values have exceeded the magnesium values, and that the water in the river is well ventilated. We have identified 130 species of epiphytic diatoms in Cyperus papyrus L. plant, including 6 species (5%) belonging to the centrales diatoms and 124 species (95%) belonging to the pennales diatoms, and the highest total number of cells of the epiphytic diatoms was recorded as 1322.3 cells x 103 / gm in site I. The values of physical and chemical factors, ecological indices, and water quality index agreed that the water of the upper Euphrates River is of moderate pollution, medium biodiversity, mesotrophic, and homogeneous in the presence of species.