Acta hydrochim. hydrobiol. I 101 1982 I 1 I 113-116 I

K. PANDEY and J. Y. SHUKLA

Department of Zoology, University of Gorakhpur, Gorakhpur

Hydrobiological Parameters as an Indicator of Water Pollution in the Chilwa Lake, Gorakhpur

Introduction

In the last two decades, a number of fertilizer industries have come up in India to boost the production of such crops as sugarcane, wheat and paddy etc. Most of these industrial complexes are situated near some lake or river or the sea. They release their waste in the adjoining aquatic environment to save the human health. The Fer- tilizer Factory of Gorakhpur manufactures urea by using atmospheric oxygen, naph- tha and nitrogen as raw materials. It drains its effluent in the adjacent Chilwa lake which happens to meet a greater demand of fish for this locality. Pollution in water bodies is due to certain abnormal physico-chemical changes, which may be estimated by various methods. The presence or absence of some ,organisms such as bacteria, blue-green algae, ciliates, rotifers, oligochaetes, ostracods, molluscs, and crustaceans can be regarded as an indicator of the conditions and degree of pollution, leading to the aquatic toxicology and hazard aesessment. The superiority of biological indicators over physico-chemical estimation has been advocated by a number of workers includ- ing MARTHE and NANDEER ; SAREAR and KRISHNAYOORTHI. MUIRHEAD-THOMSON reported that toxic chemicals and pesticides impinge on the environment of aquatic organisms by diverse means and from a variety of sources. In addition to the phyeico- chemical parameters pertaining to the aquatic pollution, it would be rather worth- while to go in depth about the biological imbalances caused due to various pollutants. This study has been undertaken to evaluate the effect of pollutants from the Fertilizer Factory of Gorakhpur on the comparative abundance and decline of zoo- and phytoplanktons in the Chilwa lake. This, however, would make us aware of the degree of the toxic influence on the aquatic organisms.

Materials, Methods and Observation

The physico-chemical and hydrobiological conditions a t four centres of the polluted zone of the Chilwa lake were recorded in 1979 in the months of March and April and were compared with the non-polluted zone of the same lake in the same period The procedures outlined by Welch end APHA were followed. During this period, an average temperature of 30.4 "C was recorded in the polluted zone of the lake, while in the non-polluted zone i t was 27.5 "C. I n the polluted region, the pH = 7.1 . . . 8.4, total alkalinity a s CaC03 mgll: 152 . . . 190, and D. 0. was in the range of 4.3 to 8 Acta hydrochim. Bd. 10, H. 1

114 PANDEY, K., SHUKLA, J. P.

5.8 ppm, whereas in the non-polluted zone the pH = 6.9 . . . 7.2, total alkalinity as CaC03 mg/l: 110 . . . 160, and D. 0. ranged from 6.2 to 9.4 ppm.

For the relative comparison of the quantitative estimations of planktons in polluted and non-polluted zones the four stations A, B, C, D and A,, B,, C, and Di, respectively, were chosen. Station A is near to the effluent-releasing centre, while B, C and D are gradually farther from it. Similarly, A, is nearer to the said demarcation line between the non-polluted zone and the polluted zone, whereas Bi, Ci and D, are gradually more away.

The plankton samples were collected from all these sampling points by filtering the water through a plankton net of bolting silk, preserved in 50,:) formalin and count-

Table 1. Showing comparative abundance and decline of zoo- and phytoplankton (no./]) in the polluted and non-polluted zones of the Chilwa lake Tabelle 1. Relativer Reichtum und Riiokgang von Zoo- und Phytoplankton (Zahl/l) in den ver- unreinigten und nicht verunreinigten Zonen des Chilwa-Sees

Plankton Polluted zone Non-polluted zone Average O/o Reduc- type

I

sampling station sampling station reduction tion in A B C D A1 Bi C, Dj in plankton plankton

Phyto- 28 44 69 91 106 118 129 142 263 63.13'/0 zoo- 10 21 29 37 43 66 61 72 136 68.18"/" - fhyfoplankfon

---o-- Zooplankton

-.--&--. Zooplankton

P S 80 4. 2c P

Y* Y' /

4.

Fig. 1. Comparative individual numbers of the plankton in polluted and non-polluted zones of the Chilwa Lake

0 Abb. 1. Vergleiahende Planktonzahlen in ver- unreinigten und nioht verunreinigten Zonen des

2G

I . ' i ' a t 1

A' '' '' '' Sampling Stotions Chilwa- Sees

Hydrobiologioal Indicator of Water Pollution in the Chilwa Lake 115

ed numerically (no./l) under the microscope using a Sedgewick Rafter Counting Cell, details of which are given in the table 1 and in the fig. 1.

Ammonia, Urea, Magneeium Sulphate, Arsenic Oxide, reeidual Chlorine and lubri- cating Oil were found as pollutants in the effluent (PANDEY and SRUKLA).

Discussioii

Pollutants may effect the aquatic organisms in a number of ways and are categorized as direct or indirect ones (ROUNSEFELL and EVERHART). Directly, their action may be on gills or by absorption through the body surface, resulting in the tissue daniage of internal organs and possibly affecting metabolism of organisms. The discharge of hot waters or heavy salts or other cheniicals may cause instantaneous death. Crude oil and other inorganic compounds cause a deleterious effect in the aquatic environment (LAGLER). Some substances become toxic even when they ere absorbed in smaller quantities. The others are lethal when accumulated in large amounts.

Indirectly, pollutants may destroy the food supply and decrease the light penetra- tion, obstructing photosynthesis, or destroy the spawning beds. In our observations the phytoplanktons and zooplanktons population is considerably retarded because of the physico-chemical changes in the water due to the Fertilizer’s effluent. Figure 1 clearly shows that there is a gradual numerical decline in the plankton samples from stationsDi to Ai and D to A, respectively. These data may thus be regarded as definite hydrobiological parameters to evaluate the extent of aquatic pollution in smaller and larger water accumulations. Such hydrobiologicel parameters have been utilized a s a primary indicator to study the water pollution of the Chilwa lake in particular, and combined with the physicochemical changes they can be successfully employed elsewhere in general.

Acknowledgement

Authors thank Prof. and Head, Dr. G. S. SWELA, Department of Zoology, University of Gorakh- pur, for providing laboratory facilities. One of us (JPS) thanks CSIR, New Delhi, for providing financial assistance.

References

&HA: Standard methods for the examination of water and waste water, 13th edition. Washington,

LAQLER, K. F.: Fresh water fishery Biology. Oubuque, Iowa, Wn. C. Brown Go., 1966,421. MARTHE, K. V., and P. B. NANDKER: Drainage water algae. Ind.,J. Environ. Health 18 (1969),

MUIREEAD-TEOMSON, R. C. : Pesticides and fresh water Fauna. London and New York, Academio

8.

D. C., American Public Health Association, INC. 1971.

331-334.

Press, 1971, 1-248.

118

PANDEY, K., and SHUKLA, J. P.: Arsenic Toxicity in a !Cropice1 fresh water fish, Pumtius sophore.

ROUNSEFALL, G. A., and W. H. EVERHART: Fishery Science: Its methods and applications.

SARKAR, R., and K. P. KRISHNAMOORTEI: Biological methods for monitoring water pollution

WELCH, P. S. : Limnological methods. Mc. Graw Hill. Book. Co., New York, 1948.

PALNDEY, K., SHUELA, J. P.

Nat. Aced. Soi. letters 2 (1979), 425-426.

New York, J. Wiley.

level. Studies a t Nagpur, Ind. J. Environ. Health 19 (1977), 132-139.

Manuskripteingang: 12.3. 1981.

Anschrift des verantwortlichen Verfassers:

Dr. K. PANDEY, Gorakhpur University, Department of Zoology, IND - 273001 Gorakhpur.

Internationale Revue der gesamten Hydrobiologie Vol. 66, No 6 (1981)

Inhaltsverzeichnis

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Ji+y POPOVSXP: Losses of Total Phosphorus from Watersheds Influenced by Various Human Activity

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