Abstract: A study has been conducted on the available aquatic invertebrates in the river Dhansiri at Dimapur site. The study confirmed that the river body composed of aquatic macroinvertebrate community in two phyla viz., Arthropods and Molluscs. Total ten species have been identified from there as the source of alternative protein food for the common people. Not only the protein source they are also the component of aquatic food chain and indicators of aquatic ecosystem. Proper management and strategies to promote the edible invertebrates can be considered as the alternative protein and alternative income source for the common people for sustainable livelihood improvement.
Abstract: Water is a vital resource that is important in ensuring the growth and development of any country. To sustain the basic human needs and the demands for agriculture, industry, conservational and ecosystem, enough quality and quantity water is needed. Contamination of water resources is now a global and public health concern. Hence, this study assessed the water quality of Ndawuse River by measuring the physicochemical parameters and heavy metals concentrations of the river using standard methods. In total, 16 surface water samples were obtained from five locations along the river, from upstream to downstream as well as samples from the dumpsite. The results obtained were compared with the standard limits set by both the World Health Organization and the Federal Environmental Protection Agency for domestic purposes. The results of the measured parameters indicated that biological oxygen demand (85.88 mg/L), turbidity (44.51 NTU), Iron (0.014 - 3.511 mg /L) and chromium (0.078 - 0.14 mg /L) were all above the standard limits. The results further showed that the quality of surface water is being significantly affected by human activities around the Ndawuse River which could pose an adverse health risk to several communities that rely on this river as their primary source of water. Therefore, there is a need for strict enforcement of environmental laws to protect the aquatic ecosystem and to avoid long term cumulative exposure risk that heavy metals may pose on human health.
Abstract: Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are
formed mainly because of incomplete combustion of organic
materials during industrial, domestic activities or natural occurrence.
Their toxicity and contamination of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem
have been established. However, with limited validity index, previous
research has focused on PAHs isomer pair ratios of variable
physicochemical properties in source identification. The objective of
this investigation was to determine the empirical validity of Pearson
Correlation Coefficient (PCC) and Cluster Analysis (CA) in PAHs
source identification along soil samples of different land uses.
Therefore, 16 PAHs grouped, as Endocrine Disruption Substances
(EDSs) were determined in 10 sample stations in top and sub soils
seasonally. PAHs was determined the use of Varian 300 gas
chromatograph interfaced with flame ionization detector. Instruments
and reagents used are of standard and chromatographic grades
respectively. PCC and CA results showed that the classification of
PAHs along pyrolitic and petrogenic organics used in source
signature is about the predominance PAHs in environmental matrix.
Therefore, the distribution of PAHs in the studied stations revealed
the presence of trace quantities of the vast majority of the sixteen
PAHs, which may ultimately inhabit the actual source signature
authentication. Therefore, factors to be considered when evaluating
possible sources of PAHs could be; type and extent of bacterial
metabolism, transformation products/substrates, and environmental
factors such as salinity, pH, oxygen concentration, nutrients, light
intensity, temperature, co-substrates, and environmental medium are
hereby recommended as factors to be considered when evaluating
possible sources of PAHs.
Abstract: Ecological systems are exposed and are influenced by
various natural and anthropogenic disturbances. They produce
various effects and states seeking response symmetry to a state of
global phase coherence or stability and balance of their food webs.
This research project addresses the development of a computational
methodology for modeling plankton food webs. The use of
algorithms to establish connections, the generation of representative
fuzzy multigraphs and application of technical analysis of complex
networks provide a set of tools for defining, analyzing and evaluating
community structure of coastal aquatic ecosystems, beyond the
estimate of possible external impacts to the networks. Thus, this
study aims to develop computational systems and data models to
assess how these ecological networks are structurally and
functionally organized, to analyze the types and degree of
compartmentalization and synchronization between oscillatory and
interconnected elements network and the influence of disturbances on
the overall pattern of rhythmicity of the system.
Abstract: Industries produce millions of cubic meters of effluent
every year and the wastewater produced may be released into the
surrounding water bodies, treated on-site or at municipal treatment
plants. The determination of organic matter in the wastewater
generated is very important to avoid any negative effect on the
aquatic ecosystem. The scope of the present work is to assess the
physicochemical composition of the wastewater produced from one
of the brewery industry in South Africa. This is to estimate the
environmental impact of its discharge into the receiving water bodies
or the municipal treatment plant. The parameters monitored for the
quantitative analysis of brewery wastewater include biological
oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total
suspended solids, volatile suspended solids, ammonia, total oxidized
nitrogen, nitrate, nitrite, phosphorus and alkalinity content. In
average, the COD concentration of the brewery effluent was 5340.97
mg/l with average pH values of 4.0 to 6.7. The BOD5 and the solids
content of the wastewater from the brewery industry were high. This
means that the effluent is very rich in organic content and its
discharge into the water bodies or the municipal treatment plant could
cause environmental pollution or damage the treatment plant. In
addition, there were variations in the wastewater composition
throughout the monitoring period. This might be as a result of
different activities that take place during the production process, as
well as the effects of peak period of beer production on the water
usage.
Abstract: The Beshar River is one of the most important aquatic ecosystems in the upstream of the Karun watershed in south of Iran which is affected by point and non point pollutant sources . This study was done in order to evaluate the effects of pollutants activities on the water quality of the Beshar river and its aquatic ecosystems. This river is approximately 190 km in length and situated at the geographical positions of 51° 20´ to 51° 48´ E and 30° 18´ to 30° 52´ N it is one of the most important aquatic ecosystems of Kohkiloye and Boyerahmad province in south-west Iran. In this research project, five study stations were selected to examine water pollution in the Beshar River systems. Human activity is now one of the most important factors affecting on hydrology and water quality of the Beshar river. Humans use large amounts of resources to sustain various standards of living, although measures of sustainability are highly variable depending on how sustainability is defined. The Beshar river ecosystems are particularly sensitive and vulnerable to human activities. Therefore, to determine the impact of human activities on the Beshar River, the most important water quality parameters such as pH, dissolve oxygen (DO), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Total Dissolve Solids (TDS), Nitrates (NO3-N) and Phosphates (PO4) were estimated at the five stations. As the results show, the most important pollution index parameters such as BOD5, NO3 and PO4 increase and DO and pH decrease according to human activities (P
Abstract: Securing instream flows for aquatic ecosystems is
critical for sustainable water management and the promotion of
human and environmental health. Using a case study from the semiarid
region of southern Alberta (Canada) this paper considers how
the determination of instream flow standards requires judgments with
respect to: (1) The relationship between instream flow indicators and
assessments of overall environmental health; (2) The indicators used
to determine adequate instream flows, and; (3) The assumptions
underlying efforts to model instream flows given data constraints. It
argues that judgments in each of these areas have an inherently
ethical component because instream flows have direct effects on the
water(s) available to meet obligations to humans and non-humans.
The conclusion expands from the case study to generic issues
regarding instream flows, the growing water ethics literature and
prospects for linking science to policy.
Abstract: An HPLC-UV analytical method was developed to
determine ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) in dairy
wastewater and surface water. The optimizing separation was achieved
by reversed–phase ion-pair liquid chromatography on a C18 column
using methanol as mobile phase solvent, tetrabutylammonium bromide
as the ion-pair reagent in pH 3.3 formate buffer solution at a flow rate
of 0.9 mL min-1 with a UV detector at 265 nm. No interference of Ca,
Mg or NO3
- was detected. Method performance was evaluated in terms
of linearity, repeatability and reproducibility. The method detection
limit was 5 μg L-1. The contents of EDTA in dairy effluents were 72 ~
261 μg L-1 at a large dairy site. A change of EDTA concentration was
observed downstream of the dairy effluent discharge, but this was well
under the predicted no effect concentration for aquatic ecosystem.
Abstract: The Yasuj city stream named the Beshar supply
water for different usages such as aquaculture farms , drinking,
agricultural and industrial usages. Fish processing plants
,Agricultural farms, waste water of industrial zones and hospitals
waste water which they are generate by human activity produce a
considerable volume of effluent and when they are released in to the
stream they can effect on the water quality and down stream aquatic
systems. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of outflow
effluent from different human activity and point and non point
pollution sources on the water quality and health of the Beshar
river next to Yasuj. Yasuj is the biggest and most important city in
the Kohkiloye and Boyerahmad province . The Beshar River is one
of the most important aquatic ecosystems in the upstream of the
Karun watershed in south of Iran which is affected by point and non
point pollutant sources . This study was done in order to evaluate the
effects of human activities on the water quality and health of the
Beshar river. This river is approximately 190 km in length and
situated at the geographical positions of 51° 20' to 51° 48' E and 30°
18' to 30° 52' N it is one of the most important aquatic ecosystems of
Kohkiloye and Boyerahmad province in south-west Iran. In this
research project, five study stations were selected to examine water
pollution in the Beshar River systems. Human activity is now one of
the most important factors affecting on hydrology and water quality
of the Beshar river. Humans use large amounts of resources to sustain
various standards of living, although measures of sustainability are
highly variable depending on how sustainability is defined. The
Beshar river ecosystems are particularly sensitive and vulnerable to
human activities. The water samples were analyzed, then some
important water quality parameters such as pH, dissolve oxygen
(DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Chemical Oxygen
Demand (COD), Total Suspended Solids (TDS),Turbidity,
Temperature, Nitrates (NO3) and Phosphates (PO4) were estimated
at the two stations. The results show a downward trend in the water
quality at the down stream of the city. The amounts of
BOD5,COD,TSS,T,Turbidity, NO3 and PO4 in the down stream
stations were considerably more than the station 1. By contrast the
amounts of DO in the down stream stations were less than to the
station 1. However when effluent discharge consequence of human
activities are released into the Beshar river near the city, the quality
of river are decreases and the environmental problems of the river
during the next years are predicted to rise.
Abstract: The Beshar River is one aquatic ecosystem, which is
located next to the city of Yasuj in southern Iran. The Beshar river
has been contaminated by industrial factories such as effluent of
sugar factory, agricultural and other activities in this region such as,
Imam Sajjad hospital, drainage from agricultural farms, Yasuj urban
surface runoff and effluent of wastewater treatment plants ,specially
Yasuj waste water treatment plant. In order to evaluate the effects of
these pollutants on the quality of the Beshar river, five monitoring
stations were selected along its course. The first station is located
upstream of Yasuj near the Dehnow village; stations 2 to 4 are
located east, south and west of city; and the 5th station is located
downstream of Yasuj. Several water quality parameters were
sampled. These include pH, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen
demand (BOD), temperature, conductivity, turbidity, total dissolved
solids and discharge or flow measurements. Water samples from the
five stations were collected and analyzed to determine the following
physicochemical parameters: EC, pH, T.D.S, T.H, No2, DO, BOD5,
COD during 2008 to 2010. The study shows that the BOD5 value of
station 1 is at a minimum (1.7 ppm) and increases downstream from
stations 2 to 4 to a maximum (11.6 ppm), and then decreases at
station 5. The DO values of station 1 is a maximum (8.45 ppm),
decreases downstream to stations 2 - 4 which are at a minimum (3.1
ppm), before increasing at station 5. The amount of BOD and TDS
are highest at the 4th station and the amount of DO is lowest at this
station, marking the 4th station as more highly polluted than the
other stations .This study shows average amount of the water quality
parameters in first year of sampling (2008) have had a better quality
relation to third year in 2010 because of recent drought in this region
and pollutant increasing .As the Beshar river path after 5th station
goes through the mountain area with more slope and flow velocity
,so the physicochemical parameters improve at the 5th station due to
pollutant degradation and dilution. Finally the point and nonpoint
pollutant sources of Beshar river were determined and compared to
the monitoring results.
Abstract: This paper presents an integrated knowledge-based
approach to multi-scale modeling of aquatic systems, with a view to
enhancing predictive power and aiding environmental management
and policy-making. The basic phases of this approach have been
exemplified in the case of a bay in Saronicos Gulf (Attiki, Greece).
The results showed a significant problem with rising phytoplankton
blooms linked to excessive microbial growth, arisen mostly due to
increased nitrogen inflows; therefore, the nitrification/denitrification
processes of the benthic and water column sub-systems have
provided the quality variables to be monitored for assessing
environmental status. It is thereby demonstrated that the proposed
approach facilitates modeling choices and implementation option
decisions, while it provides substantial support for knowledge and
experience capitalization in long-term water management.
Abstract: The Beshar River is one aquatic ecosystem,which is
affected by pollutants. This study was conducted to evaluate the
effects of human activities on the water quality of the Beshar river.
This river is approximately 190 km in length and situated at the
geographical positions of 51° 20' to 51° 48' E and 30° 18' to 30° 52'
N it is one of the most important aquatic ecosystems of Kohkiloye
and Boyerahmad province next to the city of Yasuj in southern Iran.
The Beshar river has been contaminated by industrial, agricultural
and other activities in this region such as factories, hospitals,
agricultural farms, urban surface runoff and effluent of wastewater
treatment plants. In order to evaluate the effects of these pollutants
on the quality of the Beshar river, five monitoring stations were
selected along its course. The first station is located upstream of
Yasuj near the Dehnow village; stations 2 to 4 are located east, south
and west of city; and the 5th station is located downstream of Yasuj.
Several water quality parameters were sampled. These include pH,
dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand (BOD), temperature,
conductivity, turbidity, total dissolved solids and discharge or flow
measurements. Water samples from the five stations were collected
and analysed to determine the following physicochemical
parameters: EC, pH, T.D.S, T.H, No2, DO, BOD5, COD during 2008
to 2009. The study shows that the BOD5 value of station 1 is at a
minimum (1.5 ppm) and increases downstream from stations 2 to 4 to
a maximum (7.2 ppm), and then decreases at station 5. The DO
values of station 1 is a maximum (9.55 ppm), decreases downstream
to stations 2 - 4 which are at a minimum (3.4 ppm), before increasing
at station 5. The amount of BOD and TDS are highest at the 4th
station and the amount of DO is lowest at this station, marking the
4th station as more highly polluted than the other stations. The
physicochemical parameters improve at the 5th station due to
pollutant degradation and dilution. Finally the point and nonpoint
pollutant sources of Beshar river were determined and compared to
the monitoring results.
Abstract: Diatoms are an important group of aquatic ecosystems and diatom-based indices are increasingly becoming important tools for the assessment of ecological conditions in lotic systems. Although the studies are very limited about Turkish rivers, diatom indices were used for monitoring rivers in different basins. In the present study, we used OMNIDIA program for estimation of stream quality. Some indices have less sensitive (IDP, WAT, LOBO, GENRE, TID, CEE, PT), intermediate sensitivities (IDSE, DESCY, IPS, DI-CH, SLA, IDAP), the others higher sensitivities (SID, IBD, SHE, EPI-D). Among the investigated diatom communities, only a few taxa indicated alfa-mesosaprobity and polysaprobity. Most of the sites were characterized by a great relative contribution of eutraphent and tolerant ones as well as oligosaprobic and betamesosaprobic diatoms. In general, SID and IBD indices gave the best results. This study suggests that the structure of benthic diatom communities and diatom indices, especially SID, can be applied for monitoring rivers in Southern Turkey.