Tool For Monitoring Water Quality Research Articles

Developing a Biotechnological Tool for Monitoring Water Quality: In Vitro Clone Culture of the Aquatic Moss Fontinalis Antipyretica

One of the main factors limiting active biomonitoring with aquatic mosses is the lack of sufficient material. A laboratory culture of the moss would solve this problem and thus convert the technique into a valuable biotechnological tool for monitoring water quality. With this aim, we first established small and large scale axenic in vitro culture systems for the aquatic moss Fontinalis antipyretica. We then attempted to enhance the growth rate of the cultures by modifying temperature, photoperiod and medium composition (N:P ratio, P concentration, CO2 supply, NH4NO3 supply and sucrose supply). None of these modifications greatly increased the in vitro growth rate. However, the growth rates were sufficiently high (relative to the initial weight of the cultures) in both systems (45 and 6 mg·day−1·g−1 for flasks and bioreactors respectively) to enable the production of large amounts of material. The ability to culture the material will substantially improve the applicability of the moss bag technique.

The use of planktons as tools for monitoring water quality in oil polluted streams of the Niger Delta, Nigeria

The Niger Delta ecosystems of Nigeria, typically consisting of mangrove swamps and riparian forests, have come under threat in the last six decades as a result of environmental pollution from oil exploration, drilling, refining and transportation. This study examines two Niger Delta streams (Ogba Evie and Otor) to ascertain the extent of hydrocarbon and heavy metal pollution and the status of the biotic communities in them. The physicochemical parameters of surface water samples indicate that dissolved oxygen is significantly lower in Ogba Evie stream which had some of its surface covered with oil films compared to Otor stream. Oil and grease levels were, however, well within the National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA) safety limits. Both streams had high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and several heavy metals. Overall, the diversity indices point to low phytoplankton and zooplankton species diversity and abundance. Phacus curvicauda Swirenko was the most abundant phytoplankton in the Ogba Evie stream, while Synedra ulna (Nitzsch) Ehrenberg was predominant at the Otor stream. The copepod, Cyclops strenuus Fisher was the most abundant zooplankton common to all sections of both streams. Although, no significant relationship was observed between PAH and plankton abundance, the trend observed in both streams may be a reflection of their present-day pollution rates.