Aquatic Forms Research Articles

Genotoxicity of spent pot liner as determined with the zebrafish (Danio rerio) experimental model.

Spent pot liner (SPL) is a solid waste generated during the primary smelting of aluminum, and its toxicity is attributed to the presence of fluoride, cyanide, and aluminum salts, which can be leached into aquatic ecosystems. Since the effects of this waste on aquatic life forms have not yet been investigated, the objective of our study was to evaluate the toxicity of simulated leachates of SPL on zebrafish (Danio rerio). Animals were exposed to 0 (control), 0.32, 0.64, or 0.95gL-1 of SPL for 24, 72, and 96h, and genotoxicity was accessed through micronucleus and comet assays. All of the tested treatments induced DNA fragmentation, and the observed frequency of micronuclei and damaged nucleoids generally increased with increasing SPL concentration. The highest frequency of micronuclei (3.3 per 3000 erythrocytes) was detected after 96h of exposure with 0.95gL-1 SPL. In the comet assay, nucleoids classified with highest level of damage in relation to the control were observed principally after 24 and 96h of exposure. The data obtained in this study confirm the genotoxicaction and mutagenic potential of SPL and indicate that open-air deposits of the waste material could represent a health risk to humans and ecosystems alike.

Statistical Assessment of Water Quality Parameters for Pollution Source Identification in Bektaş Pond (Sinop,Turkey)

This study was carried out between September 2015 and August 2016 in four sampling sites. Water quality of the pond was examined according to sites and seasons, water quality classes were determined and pollution problems were revealed. In addition, the suitability of aquatic life forms has been determined. For these purposes, 21 physico-chemical and seven heavy metal parameters were investigated in the pond water. Pearson correlation, hierarchical cluster analysis, and principal component analysis were applied to test the relationships of all parameters and pollutant loads. According to the analysis results, the main pollution source may be non-point pollution, that is, agricultural pollution and soil leaching for this region. In future freshwater management, these temporal and spatial scale results indicate that water-monitoring schemes need to be scaled-sensitive to water management.

From swollen gels to dried films: Relating the IR spectra of ferrihydrite dried as a film on an ATRIR crystal to aqueous suspensions

In aquatic systems ferrihydrite forms as highly porous aggregates that resemble swollen gels. Much insight into the surface chemistry of ferrihydrite has been gleaned using a technique in which ferrihydrite is dried on to the surface of a crystal that acts as an Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) medium for in situ infrared (IR) studies of ligand sorption. In this paper BET N2 adsorption, acid-base titration, H4SiO4 isotherms and the relationship between H4SiO4 sorption and H4SiO4 interfacial oligomerization are used to systematically probe the influence of this drying step on ferrihydrite's surface chemistry. This means that insights into sorption reactions revealed from in situ ATR-IR are can be increasingly related to real environmental systems. Comparing the measured acid-base titration curves to the theoretical curve provide a specific surface area (SSA) estimation of ≈600 and 290 m2 g−1 for the fresh and film-dried ferrihydrite respectively, compared to the BET N2 adsorption values of 240 and 140 m2 g−1 where the fresh ferrihydrite was freeze dried prior to BET measurement. The H4SiO4 isotherms were identical on the two ferrihydrite samples when normalized to the titration derived surface areas. The extent of interfacial H4SiO4 oligomerization provides insights into surface structures. Within experimental uncertainty, the process of drying ferrihydrite into a film did not alter either the general trend in the relationship between sorption and oligomerization, or the extent of oligomerization as a function of surface coverage normalized to the titration derived surface areas. Therefore, in comparable laboratory studies where sorption densities for dried films are compared with fresh suspensions the SSA values of 290 and 600 m2 g−1 respectively should be a reasonable estimate.

New data on psammorheophilous Limoniidae (Diptera)of NE European Russia

The new records of five species of Limoniidae (Diptera) are given: Rhabdomastix beckeri (Lackschewitz, 1935) and Scleroprocta pentagonalis (Loew, 1873) are recorded for the first time from Russia; the first reliable record of Eloeophila mundata (Loew, 1871) from Russia is given; Hexatoma fuscipennis (Curtis, 1836) and H. nubeculosa nubeculosa (Burmeister, 1829) are recorded for the first time from NE European Russia. It is found that the larvae of four species, R. beckeri, S. pentagonalis, E. mundata and H. fuscipennis, in NE European Russia (Perm Territory and Udmurtia) are aquatic psammorheophilous forms inhabiting sandy sediments at the bottom of rivers in sites with strong current. Previously the larvae in these genera and in three of these species have been considered mostly as semiaquatic forms that develop in substrata near the water margin. Larval habitats of the four species in the study area are characterized. The photographs of diagnostic characters of adult males of these species are given.

Difference in capacity of clonal integration between terrestrial and aquatic Alternanthera philoxeroides in response to defoliation: implications for biological control

Clonal integration can contribute to the invasiveness of amphibious plant, Alternanthera philoxeroides, but whether this differs between life-forms and whether such difference is underlying their biological control efficacy have scarcely been addressed. We aimed to determine whether clonal integration differs between life-forms and whether terrestrial form with lower biological control efficacy shows greater capacity of clonal integration in response to defoliation. In a greenhouse experiment, we subjected terrestrial and aquatic A. philoxeroides to four levels of experimental defoliation, i.e., 0 (control), 20% (mild), 50% (moderate), and 80% (heavy) leaf clipping, with the stolon connections being either severed or intact. The results showed that clonal integration greatly improved the growth and clonal propagation of both life-forms, especially under heavier defoliation. The shoot/root ratios of both life-forms were significantly increased by clonal integration under heavy defoliation. Moreover, higher level of resource sharing and greater division of labor promoted the terrestrial form to perform better than the aquatic form. These results supported our hypotheses that terrestrial A. philoxeroides can benefit from clonal integration more than aquatic form under herbivory, which may be an alternative mechanism accounted for the low efficacy of biological control of A. philoxeroides in the terrestrial habitats.

Photo-oxidation kinetics of sugars having different molecular size and glycosidic linkages for their complete mineralization to subunits by bare/Ag–TiO 2 under UV irradiation

Abstract Food industries discharge a large quantity of waste water effluent containing a variety of water-soluble carbohydrates which differ with regard to structural moiety and molecular mass. These carbohydrates, although non-toxic could serve as nutrients for the growth of many harmful microorganisms that cause various diseases of humans and aquatic life forms. Therefore, the soluble sugars need to be removed from the waste water prior to disposal to the environment. This research demonstrates the comparative photodegradation kinetics of monosaccharide, disaccharide, and polysaccharides by bare and Ag–TiO2 depending upon their molecular weight and glycosidic linkages under UV irradiation. It revealed that Ag loading onto TiO2 notably improved the photo-oxidation rates of sugar molecules to different hydroxylated intermediate photoproducts that ultimately decomposed to CO2. Plausible degradation kinetics and mechanistic pathways for complete photomineralization of these sugars to CO2 are briefly illustrated here by measuring optical rotation using polarimeter along with HPLC, GC and LC-MS analyses.

Flocculating performance of a bioflocculant produced by Arthrobacter humicola in sewage waste water treatment

BackgroundThe discharge of poorly treated effluents into the environment has far reaching, consequential impacts on human and aquatic life forms. Thus, we evaluated the flocculating efficiency of our test bioflocculant and we report for the first time the ability of the biopolymeric flocculant produced by Arthrobacter humicola in the treatment of sewage wastewater. This strain was isolated from sediment soil sample at Sterkfontein dam in the Eastern Free State province of South Africa.ResultsBasic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the 16S rDNA revealed the bacteria to have 99% similarity to Arthrobacter humicola strain R1 and the sequence was deposited in the Gene bank as Arthrobacter humicola with accession number KC816574.1. Flocculating activity was enhanced with the aid of divalent cations, pH 12, at a dosage concentration of 0.8 mg/mL. The purified bioflocculant was heat stable and could retain more than 78% of its flocculating activity after heating at 100 °C for 25 min. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analysis demonstrated the presence of hydroxyl and carboxyl moieties as the functional groups. The thermogravimetric analysis was used to monitor the pyrolysis profile of the purified bioflocculant and elemental composition revealed C: O: Na: P: K with 13.90: 41.96: 26.79: 16.61: 0.74 weight percentage respectively. The purified bioflocculant was able to remove chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand, suspended solids, nitrate and turbidity from sewage waste water at efficiencies of 65.7%, 63.5%, 55.7%, 71.4% and 81.3% respectively.ConclusionsThe results of this study indicate the possibility of using the bioflocculant produced by Arthrobacter humicola as a potential alternative to synthesized chemical flocculants in sewage waste water treatment and other industrial waste water.

Infrasonic and Ultrasonic Hearing Evolved after the Emergence of Modern Whales

Mysticeti (baleen whales) and Odontoceti (toothed whales) today greatly differ in their hearing abilities: Mysticeti are presumed to be sensitive to infrasonic noises [1-3], whereas Odontoceti are sensitive to ultrasonic sounds [4-6]. Two competing hypotheses exist regarding the attainment of hearing abilities inmodern whales: ancestral low-frequency sensitivity [7-13] or ancestral high-frequency sensitivity [14,15]. The significance of these evolutionary scenarios is limited by the undersampling of both early-diverging cetaceans (archaeocetes) and terrestrial hoofed relatives of cetaceans (non-cetacean artiodactyls). Here, we document for the first time the bony labyrinth, the hollow cavity housing the hearing organ, of two species of protocetid whales from Lutetian deposits (ca. 46-43 Ma) of Kpogamé, Togo. These archaeocete cetaceans, which are transitional between terrestrial and aquatic forms, prove to be akey for determining the hearing abilities of early whales. We propose a new evolutionary picture for the early stages of this history, based on qualitative and quantitative studies of the cochlear morphology of an unparalleled sample of extant and extinct land artiodactyls and cetaceans. Contrary to the hypothesis that archaeocetes have been more sensitive to high-frequency sounds than their terrestrial ancestors [15], we demonstrate that early cetaceans presented a cochlear functional pattern close to that oftheir terrestrial relatives, and that specialization for infrasonic or ultrasonic hearing in Mysticeti or Odontoceti, respectively, instead only occurred in fully aquatic whales, after the emergence of Neoceti (Mysticeti+Odontoceti).

STUDY OF MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TAXONOMICALLY SIGNIFICANT AQUATIC AND SEMIAQUATIC FAMILIES IN HETEROPTERA

The heteroptera is an important suborder of order hemiptera and includes a large number of aquatic and semiaquatic forms, which are of a taxonomic importance. The study recorded 14 families namely Napidae, Notonectidae Pleidae, Belostomatidae, Naucoridae, Corixidae, Gelastocoreidae, Ochtaridae, Hydrometridae, Velidae Mesoveliidae, Gerridae, Saldidae and Herbridae. Aquatic and semiaquatic heteropteran insects are of variable sizes from 1.5 mm. to 110 mm long living mainly in lentic and lotic fresh water. Some even live in brackish water, only a few species are marine. These are different in morphology and feeding habits from their terrestrial forms. Some are truly aquatic, provided with effective swimming respiratory structure along with modification of body shape and size. Besides the genitalia and copulatory complex of all the species studied has been dealt. The other morphological features of taxonomic significance were also studied. This study finds various morphological features in the members of different aquatic and semiaquatic families of heteroptera.

Differential responses of aquatic and aerobic forms of Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv. and E. colona (L.) Link. by morpho-physiological and molecular analysis

Differential responses of aquatic and aerobic forms of Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv. and E. colona (L.) Link. by morpho-physiological and molecular analysis

Modeling the population dynamics and community impacts of Ambystoma tigrinum: A case study of phenotype plasticity

Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of an organism to change its phenotype in response to changes in the environment. General mathematical descriptions of the phenomenon rely on an abstract measure of “viability” that, in this study, is instantiated in the case of the Tiger Salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum. This organism has a point in its development when, upon maturing, it may take two very different forms. One is a terrestrial salamander (metamorph)that visits ponds to reproduce and eat, while the other is an aquatic form (paedomorph) that remains in the pond to breed and which consumes a variety of prey including its own offspring.A seven dimensional nonlinear system of ordinary differential equations is developed, incorporating small (Z) and large (B) invertebrates, Ambystoma young of the year (Y), juveniles (J), terrestrial metamorphs (A) and aquatic paedomorphs (P). One parameter in the model controls the proportion of juveniles maturing into A versus P. Solutions are shown to remain non-negative. Every effort was made to justify parameters biologically through studies reported in the literature.A sensitivity analysis and equilibrium analysis of model parameters demonstrate that morphological choice is critical to the overall composition of the Ambystoma population. Various population viability measures were used to select optimal percentages of juveniles maturing into metamorphs, with optimal choices differing considerably depending on the viability measure. The model suggests that the criteria for viability for this organism vary, both from location to location and also in time. Thus, optimal responses change with spatiotemporal variation, which is consistent with other phenotypically plastic systems.Two competing hypotheses for the conditions under which metamorphosis occurs are examined in light of the model and data from an Ambystoma tigrinum population at Mexican Cut, Colorado. The model clearly supports one of these over the other for this data set. There appears to be a mathematical basis to the general tenet of spatiotemporal variation being important for the maintenance of polyphenisms, and our results suggest that such variation may have cascading effects on population, community, and perhaps ecosystem dynamics because it drives the production of a keystone, cannibalistic predator.

Scenarios for a sustainable energy system in the Åland Islands in 2030

A fully sustainable energy system for the Åland islands is possible by 2030 based on the assumptions in this study. Several scenarios were constructed for the future energy system based on various combinations of domestic production of wind and solar photovoltaic power, expanded domestic energy storage solutions, electrified transport, and strategic energy carrier trade. Hourly analysis of scenarios using the EnergyPLAN tool shows that annualised costs of operating a future sustainable energy system for the year 2030 range between 225 and 247M€/a compared to 229M€/a for the business as usual case. However, this result is highly dependent on how vehicle and battery costs are accounted. A scenario featuring a highly electrified transport sector, including a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic forms of mobility, was among the most cost competitive solutions due to high levels of flexibility and electric storage harnessed in the energy system. In this scenario cost reductions were achieved as high capacities of electric vehicle battery storage resulted in less need for seasonal storage and synthetic fuel production in the form of Power-to-Gas technologies and offshore wind power capacity. Results also indicate that 100% renewable energy-based domestic energy production can be achieved in Åland, with or without reliance on imported energy carriers, such as sustainable biofuels or electricity. A demonstration of a highly electrified transport sector may also offer Åland society several benefits outside of the boundaries of the energy system. New job creation related to renewable energy production on Åland could total between at least 3100 and 3900 job-years during manufacturing, construction and installation, and between 45 and 59more permanent jobs related to operations and maintenance, depending on the scenario.

The diffusive model for <i>Aedes aegypti</i> mosquito on a periodically evolving domain

This paper deals with a reaction-diffusion model on a periodically and isotropically evolving domain in order to explore the diffusive dynamics of Aedes aegypti mosquito, where we divide it into two sub-populations: the winged population and an aquatic form. The spatial-temporal risk index $ R_0(\rho) $ depending on the domain evolution rate $ \rho(t) $ as well as its analytical properties is investigated. The long-time behaviors of the periodic solutions under the condition $ R_0(\rho)>1 $ and $ R_0(\rho)\leq1 $ are explored, respectively. Moreover, we consider the specific case where $ \rho(t)\equiv1 $ to better understand the impact of the periodic evolution rate on the persistence and extinction of Aedes aegypti mosquito. Numerical simulations further verify our analytical results that the periodic domain evolution has a significant impact on the dispersal of Aedes aegypti mosquito.

Insects in the diet of fish from Amazonian streams, in western Pará, Brazil

In the present study we evaluated the contribution of insects, in particular aquatic forms, to the diet of Amazonian stream fish in western Pará, Brazil. The fish and insect fauna of 10 streams were sampled in the Tapajós National Forest. The fish consumed a diversity of nutrients of terrestrial and aquatic origin (algae, sediments, terrestrial and aquatic insects, fish), confirming that most are generalists. In the case of the species that fed exclusively on aquatic insects, a comparison of the diets with the availability of prey indicates that the fish do not forage selectively. Only 5 of the 21 species analysed fed exclusively on aquatic insects, and only 3 of these were taxon selective. Fifteen species consumed terrestrial insects, but did not feed exclusively on these organisms. This flexible feeding behaviour guarantees survival when preferred resources are scarce or absent. The results of the present study reinforce the importance of riparian forest in the feeding ecology of stream fish, because this habitat provides terrestrial insects and influences the occurrence of aquatic insects. The diversity of the Amazon region is reflected in that of local communities, and the present study provides important new data on the diet of the stream fish communities of western Pará.

Herbicides effect on fish mortality and water quality in relation to chemical control of alligator weed

Effect of three herbicides namely 2,4-D, metsulfuron-methyl and glyphosate was evaluated on fish mortality and water quality in relation to control of aquatic form of alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides; Family, Amaranthaceae). All herbicides caused fish mortality and affected water quality after application, but it was highest in 2,4-D treated tanks followed by glyphosate and metsulfuron- methyl. Herbicide did not cause fish mortality at 1 DAA (days after application) but it caused at 7 DAA and increased corresponding to increase in concentration and days. Fish mortality was recorded lowest in herbicides treated tanks that were having only water but no weeds. Significantly higher fish mortality occurred in 2,4-D treated tanks having weeds. This reflected that fish mortality was more due to decaying of weeds, which decreased dissolved oxygen drastically in the water tanks. Herbicides did not affect fish development because growth and weight of fish was highest in water tanks treated with herbicides having no weeds. All the herbicides significantly decreased pH in treated tanks than control at 0 and 1 DAA, however, it was resumed towards normalisation in due course. The decrease in pH was least in the tanks having weeds and treated with metsulfuron-methyl followed by glyphosate and 2,4-D. Further, decrease in pH was less in water tanks having no weeds than having weeds. All the herbicides significantly decreased the dissolved oxygen (DO) at 0 day in water tanks with and without weeds except metsulfuron-methyl in the tanks having no weeds. Decrease in DO was more prominent in 2,4-D treated tanks followed by glyphosate and metsulfuron-methyl. Dissolved oxygen was least affected in tanks having no weeds.

Feeding ecology of the Sicilian pond turtleEmys trinacris(Testudines, Emydidae) influenced by seasons and invasive aliens species

AbstractFeeding ecology of a species is the result of its evolutionary history, biology, physiology and local constraints, such as prey availability, intra‐ and inter‐specific interactions and environmental characteristics. In this study we investigated the still unknown diet of the Sicilian pond turtle, with special emphasis to the relationships with recently introduced alien species in the “Lake Preola and Gorghi Tondi” Nature Reserve (Sicily, Italy). A total of 83 faecal samples were collected in three different periods.Emys trinacrisseems an opportunistic and generalist species. The main prey taxa were aquatic invertebrates, including the invasiveProcambarus clarkii, while non‐aquatic preys are found sporadically. Plant matter, mainly leaves and roots of aquatic forms, was also found in high frequency with a high occurrence of fruits and seeds in spring. We did not find a significant difference in diet composition within sex and age, while an evident divergence was found between periods and sites. In particular, we noticed a decrease in prey abundance and in food‐niche breadth from pre‐reproductive period to post‐reproductive period. Moreover a very clear difference was found between a site with allochthonous fishes and a site fish‐free, with a more abundant and wide diet spectrum in the last one, as a result of the increased availability of prey. We highlighted the importance to take any possible actions to avoid the spread of fishes in other basins and to study the indirect impact ofProcambarus clarkii, as possible vector of harmful trace element.

The Chloroplast Genome of Utricularia reniformis Sheds Light on the Evolution of the ndh Gene Complex of Terrestrial Carnivorous Plants from the Lentibulariaceae Family.

Lentibulariaceae is the richest family of carnivorous plants spanning three genera including Pinguicula, Genlisea, and Utricularia. Utricularia is globally distributed, and, unlike Pinguicula and Genlisea, has both aquatic and terrestrial forms. In this study we present the analysis of the chloroplast (cp) genome of the terrestrial Utricularia reniformis. U. reniformis has a standard cp genome of 139,725bp, encoding a gene repertoire similar to essentially all photosynthetic organisms. However, an exclusive combination of losses and pseudogenization of the plastid NAD(P)H-dehydrogenase (ndh) gene complex were observed. Comparisons among aquatic and terrestrial forms of Pinguicula, Genlisea, and Utricularia indicate that, whereas the aquatic forms retained functional copies of the eleven ndh genes, these have been lost or truncated in terrestrial forms, suggesting that the ndh function may be dispensable in terrestrial Lentibulariaceae. Phylogenetic scenarios of the ndh gene loss and recovery among Pinguicula, Genlisea, and Utricularia to the ancestral Lentibulariaceae cladeare proposed. Interestingly, RNAseq analysis evidenced that U. reniformis cp genes are transcribed, including the truncated ndh genes, suggesting that these are not completely inactivated. In addition, potential novel RNA-editing sites were identified in at least six U. reniformis cp genes, while none were identified in the truncated ndh genes. Moreover, phylogenomic analyses support that Lentibulariaceae is monophyletic, belonging to the higher core Lamiales clade, corroborating the hypothesis that the first Utricularia lineage emerged in terrestrial habitats and then evolved to epiphytic and aquatic forms. Furthermore, several truncated cp genes were found interspersed with U. reniformis mitochondrial and nuclear genome scaffolds, indicating that as observed in other smaller plant genomes, such as Arabidopsis thaliana, and the related and carnivorous Genlisea nigrocaulis and G. hispidula, the endosymbiotic gene transfer may also shape the U. reniformis genome in a similar fashion. Overall the comparative analysis of the U. reniformis cp genome provides new insight into the ndh genes and cp genome evolution of carnivorous plants from Lentibulariaceae family.

Exposure to sub-acute doses of fipronil and buprofezin in combination or alone induces biochemical, hematological, histopathological and genotoxic damage in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

Use of pesticides or insecticides can be highly toxic to aquatic life forms due to leaching and agricultural runoff, rains or flood. Fipronil (FP) is a GABA receptor inhibitor, while buprofezin (BPFN) is an insect growth regulator. Presently, we exposed groups of aquaria acclimated carp fish (Cyprinus carpio) for 96h to sub-lethal concentrations of fipronil (400μgL−1; 9.15×10−7molL−1) and buprofezin (BPFN, 100mgL−1; 1.072×10−6molL−1) singly or in combination. The extent of damage was assessed at biochemical, hematological, molecular biological and histopathological level. Results obtained in treated fish were compared statistically with those of control non-treated fish and also among treatment groups. Significance level was p<0.05. Compared to control, serum total protein and globulin concentrations decreased significantly (p<0.0001) in fish treated with FP; while albumin concentration remained unaltered with all treatments. Glucose concentration decreased significantly (p<0.002) in fish treated with FP. In contrast, combined FP+BPFN treatment and BPFN treatment caused insignificant elevation of glucose concentration. Hematological assessment demonstrated significant decrease in red blood cell and thrombocyte counts, hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit percent; while white blood cell count showed an increase in all treatment groups (p<0.0001). Blood smears from pesticide treated fish revealed aberrant erythrocyte morphologies which included necrosis, micronuclear formation and hyperchromatosis. DNA laddering assay carried out on whole blood demonstrated excessive smear formation in combined FP+BPFN and BPFN treatment groups but no smear formation was noticeable in FP treated fish. Compared to control, whole blood DNA content increased significantly in the combined FP+BPFN and BPFN treatment groups (p<0.001 and p<0.009). With all treatments histopathological changes observed in the gills were: epithelial uplifting and necrosis of lamellae, lamellar atrophy, disruption of cartilaginous core, fusion and disorganization of lamellae and telangiectasia. In liver these were: karyorrhexis, hepatocellular hypertrophy, nuclear hypertrophy, melanomacrophage aggregates and central vein contraction, while in the kidney: deterioration of glomerulus and dilatation of Bowman’s space, dilatation of renal tubules, thyroidisation, altered tubular lumen, nuclear hypertrophy, cellular atrophy, and cellular necrosis were the outcome. Our study revealed that FP and BPFN produce highly toxic effects on fish when given in combination or singly. To our knowledge, this is the first report on toxicity caused by FP and BPFN in single and combined state.

EVALUATION OF WATER POLLUTION STATUS IN BAHLUI RIVER (IASI TOWN AREA) DUE TO DOMESTIC AND URBAN WASTEWATER TREATMENT ACTIVITIES

This study presents some data about the water pollution status of Bahlui river in Iasi town area (two control sections) mainly due to domestic and urban wastewater treatment activities, considering especially some quality indicators (i.e.&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;nitrogen-based nutrients, total phosphorus and sum organics content) evaluated for 2009-2010. The Bahlui water classification by European standards in Iasi town area corresponds to ‘medium’ (WQI = 53.893 - 64.345). The real water pollution state of Bahlui river (Iasi town area) is estimated by the global pollution index (&lt;em&gt;I&lt;sup&gt;*&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sub&gt;GP&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/em&gt;), and corresponds to values of 2.80-2.929 (Valea Lupului-Iasi control section), and 3.030-3.196 (Holboca control section, i.e. downstream of Dancu wastewater treatment plant). These values are indicating an aquatic environment modified by domestic and urban wastewater treatment activities, generating discomfort effects, or producing stress against aquatic life forms. These data are recommending application of hydro-ameliorative/remediation actions, and permanent control of Bahlui watercourse quality in all existing control sections.

Design of Optical Biological Sensor for Phycocyanin Parameters Measurement using Fluorescence Technique

Remote sensing and measurement are of paramount importance of providing information on the state of water quality in water bodies. The formation and growth of cyanobacteria is of serious concern to in land aquatic life forms and human life. The main cause of water quality deterioration stems from anthropogenic induced eutrophication. The goal of this research to quantify and determine the spatial distribution of cyanobacteria concentration in the water using remote sensing technique. The standard approach to measure water quality based on the direct measurement of the fluorescence of the chlorophyll a in the living algal cells and the same approach used to detect the phycobilin pigments found in blue-green algae (a.k.a. cyanobacteria), phycocyanin and phycoerythrin. This paper propose the emerging sensor design to measure the water quality based on the optical analysis by fluorescence of the phycocyanin pigment. In this research, we developed an method to sense and quantify to derive phycocyanin intensity index for estimating cyanobacteria concentrations. The development of the index was based on the reflectance difference between visible light band 620nm and 665nm. As a result of research this paper presents, an optical biological sensor design information to measure the Phycocyanin parameters in water content.