Indicators Of Organic Pollution Research Articles

Flora composition of phytoplankton as bioindicators of water quality in Jakara dam, Kano state, Nigeria

A study on phytoplankton as bioindicators of water quality in Jakara Dam was carried out for a period of 12 months (March, 2013-February 2014). Phytoplankton and water samples were collected and analyzed using standard methods. Sampling sites designated as A, B, C, D, and E were chosen. Physico-chemical parameters showed temperature, secchi disk transparency, pH, and electrical conductivity ranged between 25.3-23.9, 10.7-57.9 cm, 7.9-7.7 and 856.7- 817.9μs/cm respectively, so also dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, nitrate and phosphate ranged between 4.5-3.3 mg/l, 2.5-1.7 mg/l, 23.8-14.3 mg/l, and 15.8-12.5mg/l respectively. Cyanophyceae were the most dominant contributing 56.8% of the total flora composition, followed by Bacillariophyceae (23.2%) and Chlorophyceae (23.0%). A combined total of 23 species of phytoplankton were encountered. Cyanophyceae 9, Bacillariophyceae 7 and Chlorophyceae 7. The total flora count obtained was 3255.93 Org/l. The highest phytoplankton density was recorded at site D (870.18 Org/l) and lowest at site A (454.39 Org/l). Oscillatoria spp. had the highest total species count (1131.58) org/l while Anthophysa vegetans had the lowest (10.53 Org/l). High percentages of organic pollution indicators Oscillatoria spp and Microcystis aerogenosa were signs of deteriorating condition of the water quality. Shannon - Weiner’s and Evenness Indices values were higher in the months of wet season than in dry season, while the Simpson’s Index values were low. The total flora counts were higher in dry season. In the wet season, Pearson’s Coefficient analysis showed that there was positive relationship between temperature and nitrate and BOD at P< 0.05. Likewise between DO and phytoplankton, BOD and nitrate and phosphate at P< 0.01. During the period of this study, site A had low secchi disk transparency, high level of nitrate and phosphate. This is due to human activities taking place at the site. Shannon - Weiner’s Index value indicated that the site is more polluted. Government and stakeholders should strengthen their legislation against indiscriminate and improper waste disposal along water-ways, dams inclusive. This will ease inflow and check contamination to a large extent. Keywords : Bioindicators, Indicies, Jakara Dam, Physico-chemical parameters, Phytoplankton

Polychaete worms associated to six types of substrate in North-Eastem Bermuda

Twenty two species of marine polychaete were collected in six types of substrates incluing rocks, scleractinian corals, demospongean sponges, soft bottoms, brown and red algae and Thalassia testudinum in July and August, 1986. Cluster analysis showed little affinity among those substrates, although some species such as Ehlersia cornuta, Haplosyllis spongicola, Nicolea modesta, Eupolymnia crassicornis and Notomastus latericeus were indentified in several substrates. The greater abundance and species richness of polychaetes was directly related to the heterogeneity and the organic matter contents of sediments. The most abundant species was Capitella capitata, wich may be important as an organic pollution indicator.

Assessment of surface water quality and its spatial variation. A case study of Ramganga River, Ganga Basin, India

Ramganga River is the main tributary of the Ganges River which is the most sacred and largest river basin of India. For effective management of Ganges, assessment of water quality in its tributaries is must, and this river lacks it so far. The present study focuses on the evaluation of water quality of this river and its adjoining tributaries. Organic pollution indicators, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD5) of river water ranges from 15.2 to 55.5 mg/L and 7.1 to 29 mg/L, respectively. Nutrient parameters nitrate (NO3−-N) and phosphate (PO42−-P) of river water ranges from 0.2 to 12.7 mg/L and 0.02 to 0.76 mg/L, respectively. While in tributaries, these parameters range from 0.2 to 9.9 mg/L and 0.03 to 1.47 mg/L, respectively. The most polluted stretches of river were from Moradabad to Farrukhabad via Bareilly especially in terms of organic pollution. Pair sample t test applied to compare the water quality of river and its tributaries revealed no significant difference in COD, NO3−-N, PO42—P, and fluoride (F−) while sulfate (SO42−) was significantly large (25.1 mg/L) in tributaries. The spatial variation in water quality of river was addressed by cluster analysis (CA) which grouped the 16 sampling points into three significant clusters corresponding to lower pollution, moderate pollution, and severe pollution regions. The results from CA restructure the entire sampling campaign to a cheaper and less-effort sampling program that will be helpful in water quality assessment and management of the river.

Structural Composition of Protozooplankton Communities in Relation to Environmental Factors in Shallow Lakes and Reservoirs of Rīga, Latvia

Abstract Protozooplankton are dominant grazers of phytoplankton and an important component of the microbial food web, as a link between pico and nanoplankton to higher trophic levels. Their fast growing rate, relative abundance, biomass and diversity are used as indicators of organic and toxic pollution. The impact of urbanisation on ecosystems and their sustainability and biodiversity have recently been much studied. We studied the protozooplankton ciliate communities during the vegetation period from April to October in two small lakes (Bābelītis, Gaiļezers) and two reservoirs (Bolderāja, Saurieši). The largest peak of biomass (15.7 × 102 mg/l) was found in Gaiļezers Lake in August and of abundance (60.2 × 103 org/l) in Bābelītis Lake in July. The lowest biomass (0.006 mg/l) and abundance (0.12 × 103 org/l) were found in the Saurieši Reservoir station. The most abundant ciliates were from the order Oligotrichida.

Bacillariophyta of Periphyton of Navigation Buoys in the Posiet Bay Area (the Sea of Japan, Russia)

Species composition of diatoms overgrowing navigation buoys in water areas of Posiet Bay of the Sea of Japan adjacent to the Far East Marine State Nature Biosphere Reserve is studied. Totally 93 species and intraspecies taxa of diatoms from Bacillariophyceae (61), Coscinodiscophyceae (22) and Fragilariophyceae (10) are registered. 43 taxa are first cited for the reserve. Most of the coves of the Bay are characterized by high species diversity (73 species) of periphyton Bacillariophyta and the dominance of β-mezosaprobionts, indicators of moderate organic pollution. In the cove of Trinity low species diversity (24) and the predominance of α-mezosaprobionts were recorded, largely due to the influence of anthropogenic pollution caused by port of Zarubino and fish factory.

Effects of the antidepressant fluoxetine in spiked-sediments on developmental and reproductive features of the polychaetes Capitella teleta and Capitella sp A.

The cosmopolitan species-complex Capitella, a deposit-feeding polychaete, is widely used as an indicator of organic pollution and plays an important role in sewage waste cycling in marine and estuarine ecosystems. The antidepressant fluoxetine can be accumulated in sewage effluents and it could pose a hazard to infauna inhabiting surrounding areas. The study aimed to assess effects of fluoxetine on juveniles and adults of Capitella teleta and Capitella sp A. Sediments were spiked with four fluoxetine concentrations (0.001, 0.03, 0.3 and 3.3µg/g dry wt. sediment). Chronically exposed worms of C. teleta showed delay of maturity, delay or inhibition of copulation and morphological abnormalities (genital spines in males and juveniles) with adverse physiological consequences. Alternatively, in C. teleta fluoxetine enhanced proteroginous individuals that may be beneficial for the population. Worms of Capitella sp A only showed delay or inhibition of copulation. Observed fluoxetine adverse effects could have important ecological implications in natural populations of aquatic invertebrates due to the possible alteration or even inhibition of reproductive processes.

더블 빔 구조, 다파장 분석을 적용한 연속식 실시간 COD 측정 센서 개발

Abstract At present, the index of chemical oxygen demand (COD) is widely used as an indicator of organic water pollution with biochemicaloxygen demand (BOD). But, traditional COD measurement method are not only with various chemical reagents exhausted, but alsolong time consumed, the operation procedure and the modification are much professional. This paper reported a novel COD mea-surement system using double-beam and multiple wavelength analysis UV-VIS spectrometries. It consists of pulsed xenon lamp, two-way optical fiber, optical switch, spectrometer and main processor. Proposed COD measurement system obtains any spectral inform ationof water sample (KHP standard sample and two river water and wastewater) and reference sample (distilled water) in the range of200~520 nm, corresponding to the COD concentration from 0 to 300 mg/L through calculating the UV absorbance. The system showimproved precision and can work continuously fast at time interval about 25 seconds.Keywords: COD, Chemical oxygen demand, Absorption photometry, Double beam, Linear regression

English

Balantidium coli is an enteropathogenic cosmopolitan ciliate which causes balantidiasis in humans. There is a high interest in studying it’s occurrence in developing countries because of the vulnerability of the population to infectious diseases. The present study was carried out in order to characterise the cysts of the parasite and to evaluate the influence of environmental variables on their dispersal in an urban stream which is being exploited by the population to accomplish urban agriculture, industrial and domestic activities. The presence of round (825 ± 610 cysts/L) and oval shaped cysts (246 ± 300 cysts/L), whose size varies between 30 and 75 µm was noted. A canonical correspondence analysis shows that the lowest density of the cysts and a relatively low concentration of the ecological indicators of organic pollution are observed upstream (E1) and down stream (E5). High abundance of cyst of Balantidium coli was observed in stations located along a piggery effluent associated with a major market. The similitude index of Bray-Curtis shows an 84% of resemblance between E2, E4 which are located midstream and very close to a populated urban area. Higher densities of cyst are registered during the short rainy season (207±213 cysts/L). Key words: Balantidium coli, cyst, distribution, transmission, urban stream, Yaounde.

Use of Diatoms in River Health Assessment

We review the use of diatoms in monitoring and assessment of river health in the world. First, we summarize the use of diatoms as indicators of nutritional status, acidification, and organic and metal pollution. We then examine some problems that have been associated with diatoms and indices that were used in different regions around the world: 1) incomplete taxonomy; 2) effects of natural geographic differences on diatom distributions (e.g., climate, lithology); 3) effects of natural site differences on diatom distribution and abundance (e.g., substrate, depth, chemistry); 4) differences in sampling, sample processing, and analytical methods; and 5) difficulties in finding minimally disturbed reference sites. Based on these problems, we present the different selections and the research progress of diatoms and indices used in monitoring and assessing river health around the world including the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. We recommend that future studies and uses of diatoms focus on the following aspects: 1) improve the classification and identification of diatoms; 2) increase the use of diatom predictive indices to monitor and assess water quality; 3) develop global standard methods for sampling diatoms in streams, rivers, and lakes; and 4) apply hind-casting predictive models.

Algae and Zooplankton in Ecological Assessment of the Işıklı Lake, Turkey

First study of microscopic algae from plankton and periphyton of the Isikli Lake (Western Anatolia) together with zooplankton species has been used for ecological assessment of the lake environment by bio-indication methods. Chara hispida (L.) Hartm has been found as major biomass forming species in the lake. Altogether 24 species of diatoms are described, photographed and used for water quality assessment. Zooplankton community was species rich and presented by 24 species from Rotifera (14), Cladocera (8), and Copepoda (2). Mostly from them (20) are indicators of organic pollution. The bio-indication on the base of algae and planktonic invertebrates shows that the Isikli Lake has mainly oligotrophic state with trend to mesotrophic state, fresh, low alkaline, and low to middle organic pollution. Saprobity index S of zooplankton community (1.62) was greater than S of algae (1.13) and reflect oligo-to mesotropic state and low to middle organic pollution, Class II of Water Quality. The Isikli Lake recommended for including it to the list of Turkish protected areas with regularly monitoring of chemical and biological variables and watershed protection.

Comparison of BOD, COD, TOC and DOC as the Indicator of Organic Matter Pollution of Agricultural Surface Water in Gyeongnam Province

This survey was conducted to obtain basic data about organic matter such as BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand), COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand), DOC (Dissolved Organic Carbon) and TOC (Total Organic Carbon) in agricultural water in Gyeongnam province. BOD and COD are currently used for water quality indices, but adoption of TOC is being suggested. The surface water samples were collected at 39 locations in Gyeongnam province in April, July and October. Average concentrations of BOD, COD, DOC and TOC were 1.6, 3.3, 5.3 and <TEX>$5.7mg\;L^{-1}$</TEX>, respectively. In July, average concentrations of BOD and COD were 2.4 and <TEX>$3.9mg\;L^{-1}$</TEX>, respectively, showing these values were higher than other months. Average concentrations of TOC in April, July and October were 4.8, 7.4 and <TEX>$4.8mg\;L^{-1}$</TEX>, respectively. This suggested that the highest value of TOC was in July. Average decomposition efficiencies for BOD-C/TOC and COD-C/TOC were 11.4 and 23.9%, respectively. Correlation coefficient of TOC and DOC was higher by 0.995, whereas that of TOC and COD was lower by 0.763. Especially, TOC and DOC were highly related than others.

Effects of the pharmaceutical fluoxetine in spiked-sediments on feeding activity and growth of the polychaete Capitella teleta

The marine–estuarine polychaete Capitella is an indicator of organic pollution and plays important roles in sewage waste cycling. The antidepressant fluoxetine can be accumulated in streams and sewage effluents and it could pose a hazard to infauna. Effects of fluoxetine on feeding and growth of Capitella teleta were investigated through the exposure to 0, 0.001, 0.03, 0.3 and 3.3 μg/g dry weight sediment-spiked fluoxetine during 18 days. No effects of fluoxetine concentrations were observed on egestion rates, body weight and size-specific egestion rates. Fluoxetine favoured the occurrence of males with abnormal genital spines. This suggests that fluoxetine can have important reproductive implications. Further studies are recommended to assess potential detrimental effects on benthic infauna inhabiting close to sewage treatment plants.

Investigating the properties of plastic resin pellets found in the coastal areas of Lesvos Island

Plastic pellets (small granules, 1-5 millimeters in diameter) are widely distributed in the ocean and coastal zones all over the world. They are an industrial raw material for the plastic industry and are unintentionally released to the environment both during manufacturing and transport. These pellets are highly persistent and because of their hydrophobic nature they have being identified as carriers of toxic chemicals in the marine environment. Several marine organisms accumulate plastic particles in their stomach. A positive correlation between the mass of ingested plastic and PCBs in fat tissues has been documented. Also, plastic pellets are proposed as indicators of organic pollution in the sea. However, the sorption mechanisms of organic contaminants onto plastic pellets are not yet well understood. For this reason we collected such pellets from various beaches in Lesvos island. Since this material is highly heterogeneous we also obtained, from plastic manufacturers, virgin pellets made from polyethylene and polypropylene. Phenanthrene was used as the model sorbate. It is a compound with high toxicity and abundance in the environment and relatively easy to use in the laboratory. Also, there are many publications dealing with phenanthrene sorption onto different materials and our results are easily compared with previous research. Batch experiments were performed to determine the sorption kinetics of the pellets. Factors under investigation included pellet material, degree of pellet erosion, and sorption kinetic behavior. All of the five beaches in Lesvos island investigated had plastic pellets on the sand surface. All of these plastic pellets were eroded and 2/3 of them had similar appearance to virgin polyethylene pellets obtained from plastic manufacturers. Pellet color is not indicative of erosion that will lead to varying sorption kinetic behavior. Pellet density could not be used to identify pellets sampled from the beach. Apparent sorption coefficient increases with time for all pellets investigated. Thus, sorption into plastic pellets is limited by diffusion in the polymer phase. 2/3 of the plastic eroded pellets demonstrate sorption kinetics similar to virgin polyethylene pellets after 38 days.

Zooplankton as Indicator of Organic and Toxic Pollution and Ecological State of Aquatic Ecosystems (a Review)

Zooplankton as Indicator of Organic and Toxic Pollution and Ecological State of Aquatic Ecosystems (a Review)

A Study on Long-term Variations of BOD and COD as Indicators of Organic Matter Pollution in the Han River

A Study on Long-term Variations of BOD and COD as Indicators of Organic Matter Pollution in the Han River

Reclutamiento de corales pétreos en arrecifes coralinos a diferentes distancias de fuentes de contaminación en La Habana, Cuba

The effect of pollution on coral recruitment has been insufficiently studied. This research deals with coral recruitment in coastal areas and aimed to determine the variations of density and dominant species of corals recruits in sites at different distances from pollution sources. The composition and structure of stony coral (scleractinian and milleporids) recruit associations were characterized in the fringing reef of Western Havana, Cuba. This reef is influenced by urban pollution from the Almendares River and a sewage outlet located at its mouth. Four sites were sampled on the upper fore reef escarpment at 10m deep every three months between July 2007 and May 2008. A 25cm side quadrat was used to determine the density and taxonomic composition of recruits smaller than 3cm in diameter. Sampling units were placed following a random-systematic pattern. The mean density of recruits was determined both at assemble and species level. Bifactoral ANOVA tests were applied to compare mean densities at both sampling sites and dates. Student-Newman-Keuls test was applied to compare pairs of means. Cluster and nMDS analyses were applied to evaluate between site similarities. The predominant species was Siderastrea siderea followed by S. radians and Porites astreoides. Recruit densities were similar among La Puntilla, Calle 16 and Acuario sites. Lower densities were always found in Malec6n. Significant differences in mean stony recruit densities were found both between sites and sampling dates. The statistic analysis did not show significant spatial-temporal interactions. Malec6n, the most polluted site, showed the lowest recruit density and the greater presence of species considered as indicators of organic pollution, sedimentation and abrasion. The density of recruit species was higher in October 2007 and lower in May 2008, and it was apparently influenced by reproduction and cold front seasons, respectively. The higher dominance and abundance of S. siderea, S. radians and P. astreoides recruits were apparently due to their high reproductive potential and resistance to disturbances. The identity of dominant species was apparently related to distance from major pollution sources. We highly recommended the replication of this research in other areas of the greater Caribbean region to test the generality of present results and to compare among areas. Future research should take into account the influence of other environmental factors, along with an appraisal of recruit species tolerance to these factors, to better ponder the effect of urban pollution on recruitment. Areas with well assessed pollution regimes are recommended for research.

Ecological Monitoring of Danube water Quality in Budapest Region

Problem statement: Serious health problems and other economic costs related to water treatment, remediation and locating a new water supply, become an evidence of water pollution caused by human activities. The main problems of the Danube River basin are associated with nutrients, organic pollution and hazardous pollutants. The aim of the study is to assess the surface water of the Danube in Budapest for sustainability of human and environment health. Approach: The monitoring assessment of comparative studies was carried out in June of 1998, 2005 and 2010 using the Hungarian standard methods. The samples were collected in sterile dark bottles from three different zones in Budapest. Results: The results demonstrated that dissolved organic carbon content, nutrient pollution (total N and P), bacteriological parameters and chlorophyll-a content were higher in 2005 than in 1998 and 2010. The results indicated that the bacteriological assessments and bacterial populations were low in 1998 in comparison with the results of 2010. In 2005, investigations illustrate the high fecal pollution. The data showed no significant differences between temperature, pH and Electrical conductivity in 1998, 2005 and 2010. Conclusion/Recommendations: Monitoring of the water by physicochemical and bacteriological is essential to identify the aquatic ecosystem hazards. The relation between O2 and Chl-a content of the samples, clearly shows that the cause of high dissolved O2 content in the water lies in accelerated primary production. Enumerations of both total and fecal Coliforms are continuously growing during the investigation periods. These results suggested that bacteriological properties can be a specific indicator of fecal contamination and organic pollution. With large numbers of new chemical substances entering the river ecosystem, continuous monitoring systems for their detection will become increasingly important with respect to environmental effects they produce, in addition to other toxic effects. The challenges to continuous physical, chemical, biological and bacteriological monitoring will be immense.

The Assessment of the Surface Water Quality Using the Water Pollution Index: A Case Study of the Timok River (The Danube River Basin), Serbia

The Assessment of the Surface Water Quality Using the Water Pollution Index: A Case Study of the Timok River (The Danube River Basin), Serbia The Timok River (202 km long, 4547 km2 basin area) is located in East Serbia. It is a right tributary of the Danube River and one of the most polluted watercourses in Serbia. On the basis of the data provided by the Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia, the paper presents an analysis of water quality and pollution using the combined physico-chemical WPI index (Water Pollution Index) calculated for two periods - 1993-96 and 2006-2009 at four hydrological stations: Zaječar-Gamzigrad (Crni Timok River), Zaječar (Beli Timok River), Rgotina (Borska Reka River) and Čokonjar (Timok River). The following parameters were taken into consideration: dissolved O2, O2 saturation, pH, suspended sediments, Five Day Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Chemical Oxygen Demand (CODMn), nitrites, nitrates, orthophosphates, ammonium, metals (Cu, Fe, Mn, Hg, Ni, Zn, Cd), sulphates and coliform germs. The average WPI values were calculated for the observed periods based on the comparison of the annual average values of the listed parameters and defined standard values for the I water quality class (according to the Regulation on the Hygienic Acceptability of Potable Water of the Republic of Serbia). The highest pollution degree was recorded in the Borska Reka River, where heavy metal levels (especially manganese and iron) were significantly increased. These metals are indicators of inorganic pollution (primarily caused by copper mining). Also, increased values of the organic pollution indicators (ammonium, coliform germs, Five-Day Biological Oxygen Demand - BOD5) in the Borska Reka and the Timok rivers are the result of uncontrolled domestic wastewater discharge.

Diversity and ecology of diatoms from Felent creek (Sakarya river basin), Turkey

Diatoms are an important group of aquatic ecosystems. To date, there have been many important algological studies in different river basins in Turkey. However, the use of diatoms in biomonitoring (according to diatom indices, Watanabe's or Van Dam's systems) is relatively new in Turkey. In the present study, 41 samples of epilithic diatoms were collected from 5 stations along Felent creek between June 2006 and February 2007 and a total of 117 diatom taxa were identified. The bio-indication (autoecology and abundance scores in the communities) of Felent creek was investigated and, as a result, the organic pollution indicators of Watanabe's classification (81 species, 69.2%) constituted 3 groups. The Sladecek's index calculated for each sampling station varied from 1.36 to 2.08 (from oligo- to betamesosaprobic) at stations, and the river pollution index was calculated for each defined environmental variable as well as for species richness and index of saprobity over stations in summer and winter. The river water was alkaline and temperate with low salinity, and there was organic pollution in summer. Species richness was mostly higher in winter than in summer.

Influence of body weight and substrate granulometry on the reproduction of Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri (Oligochaeta: Naididae: Tubificinae)

Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri Claparede, 1862 is a cosmopolitan Oligochaeta widely used as indicator of organic pollution in water bodies. Previous contributions have shown the effects of organic matter and temperature on the life history of the species, although very little is known about the factors that influence its reproduction. This study aimed 1) to test whether the larger weight of individuals results in an increase in the reproduction rate and 2) to test the influence of two granulometric fractions of sand on the reproduction and growth the species. In the first experiment, specimens of L. hoffmeisteri were separated in two groups with different average weights (small individuals = 6.63 ± 1.28 mg; large individuals = 12.44 ± 3.99 mg) and kept at 15 ± 1oC for 21 days. The results of this experiment showed that the number of cocoons was statistically similar between the groups, but the mean number of eggs per cocoon produced by large individuals (2.78 ± 0.35) was greater than that produced by small individuals (7.45 ± 2.50). In the second experiment, weekly observations were conducted for 25 weeks in two groups of 30 specimens: one kept in fine sand and the other in medium sand, at 25 ± 1oC. The single significant difference was in the number of cocoons per adult per day (0.37 ± 0.22 and 0.23 ± 0.24, for fine and medium sand, respectively). Individuals reared in fine sand produced a greater number of descendants compared to those reared in medium sand in the same period of time.