Wetland Water Quality Biological Assessment Presentation

7/28/2019 Wetland Water Quality Biological Assessment Presentation

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Wetland Water Quality andBiological Assessment

Raywadee Roachanakanan, Ph.D.

Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies

Mahidol University

November 9, 2007


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Standing water system VS Running water system

Standing water system(Still water, Lentichabitat)

*Wide open space and only narrow connection partway withother sources

*Material gain from running water system

*Lake, pond and bog etc.

Running water system(Flowing water, Loticsystem)

*Narrow open space and distinct moving direction of water

*Material loss through mechanical and chemical erosions

*Brook, stream and river etc.


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Tools*Selected physico-chemical parameters: Standard

*Chemical index

*Biological indicators/ index


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Surface Water Quality Standards


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Surface Water Quality Standards (p. 2/4)


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Coastal Water Quality Standards


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Coastal Water Quality Standards

( )


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Coastal Water Quality Standards (p. 2/7)

C l W Q li S d d ( 3/7)


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C t l W t Q lit St d d ( 4/7)


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C t l W t Q lit St d d ( 5/7)


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Coastal Water Quality Standards (p 6/7)


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Coastal Water Quality Standards (p 7/7)


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Groundwater Quality Standards


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Groundwater Quality Standards (p. 2/5)


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Chemical index*Saubain et al. index

I = 1/nn qiI = Chemical index

n = Number of parameter (can be calculated even on a number of parameters less than 7)

qi = Index value of parameter

Seven parameters are Dissolved oxygen, Nitrate-N, Nitrite-N, Ammonia-N, Total-

N, Phosphate, Chemical oxygen demand.Interpretation: Classes 1-5= Very low water quality-Very good water quality


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Chemical index*Dutch score

I =n qiI = Chemical index

n = Number of parameter

qi = Score for each parameter

Three parameters are Dissolved oxygen, Biochemical oxygen demand, Ammonia-N.

Interpretation: Classes 1-5= Very good water quality-Very low water quality


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Chemical index*Only in some European countries are interested and

developed these indices: France, Dutch and Belgium.

*Not popular and not in use.

In Thailand, it is used to be a research on this index (almost20 years ago).

*Problem: it is difficult to identify the relationship amongst

the parameters (the summation??).


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Physico-chemical indicators VS Biologicalindicators*biological effects often occur at the concentrations that are lower than the

analytical techniques can demonstrate;

*toxicants result in effects which are different in complex variable mixturesthan each separately;

*characteristics of the receiving environment strongly influence the (toxic)effects which can be both antagonistic and synergistic;

*organisms integrate environmental conditions over long periods of time,

whereas chemical data are instantaneous in nature and therefore require largenumbers of measurements for an accurate assessment.


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BioindicatorThe use of individual plant and/or animal species or, morerarely, groups of closely interdependent species to indicate thequality of an environment. Evaluation of ecosystems usuallyinvolves the identification of indicator species which havecritical environmental requirements.

Example: Ecdyonuridae (belonging to Ephemeroptera: Mayfly) is the most sensitive group for very good water quality(high dissolved oxygen).


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Biological Assessment Systems

*The Saprobic system mainly based on the presence of

microorganisms belonging to the plankton and periphytoncommunities in Germany by Kolkwitz and Masson (1902).

*Macroinvertebrate indicators started in USA by Richardsonin 1928.

Both groups have evolved from qualitative to quantitativesystems.


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Biological Assessment SystemsBIOINDICATORS

Micro-organisms Macro-organisms-bacteria -macrophytes

-protozoans -molluscs

-microalgae -crustaceans

-insects

-fish

(Macroinvertebrates approximately >0.5 mm in size)


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Biological Assessment SystemsBiological water quality assessment is incapable of

representing the entire ecosystem, one usuallyanalyzes only one community:

-plankton (floating microorganism)

-periphyton(attached organisms)

-macrobenthon (macroinvertebrates living an and on the

bottom)

-necton (fish, amphibians)


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Bacteria and fungi*Agents of decay for breaking down of dead organic matter.

*Contaminations of faecal coliform bacteria (pathogen):domestic waste, effects on human health

*A sewage fungus community is found below severe organicpollution.

*Link to the parameters of BOD (Biochemical oxygen

demand)

*Natural bacterial fauna: Self-purification process (Figure ofself-purification process)


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Food web


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PlanktonPlankton=microscopic aquatic forms having little or on

resistance to currents/ living free-floating and suspended inopen or pelagic waters/ ranging in size from single-celledpicoplankton, which are < 5 um in diameter, to colonial form

Algae=simple plants that lack true stems, roots and leaves butperform photosynthesis/diverse life forms-simple unicellularforms to complex colonial and filamentous forms


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Plankton-Phytoplankton (plant) and Zooplankton (animal)

Generally zooplankton are larger than phytoplankton

-Holoplankton (whole life) and Meroplankton (a certain

stage in life cycle e.g. larva stage of shrimp and dragon fly)


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Phytoplankton


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Zooplankton


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Plankton*Short life cycles: planktons respond quickly to

environmental changes.

*Standing crop and species composition indicate the qualityof the water mass.

*Plankton are predominant in lentic habitats (ponds, lakesand oceans) and large rivers with slow moving waters.

*Eutrophication

*Drawback: small size and difficulty of specific identification.


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Fish*Species composition and abundance of fish are important inassessing the health of water body.

*In the aquatic food webs, normally fish occupy the highesttrophic level therefore they can represent the summation ofconditions for lower biological forms and the overall water

quality.

*Certain fish species or group of species are more sensitive topollutants including siltation.

* Catfish generally are considered pollution-tolerant but many

species such as madtoms are sensitive to some environmentalalterations.

*Drawback: being more mobile therefore they can avoid pollution tosome extent.


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Macrophyte*Higher plants are affected by oxygen conditions and turbidity.

*High nutrients contents can lead to high biomass. Good??

*Drawback: difficulty to interpret according to water quality;being not very diverse; being not good as indicators


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BenthosBenthos = Greek bottom = the plant or animal

communities associate with the bottom or any solid-liquidinterface in the aquatic systems

*Now: Animals associate with substrata

-Epifauna(on: attatched, motile forms)

-Infauna(in: tubes/burrows)

Macroinvertebrate= a heterogenousassemblage of animalphyla: Mollusc/Insect larvae/Worm/Star fish etc.


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Importance

the diversity of invertebrates, particularly insects, makesup about 54% of all described species of organisms

invertebrates are almost ubiquitous in aquatic systems

invertebrates have limited mobility; the history of the site,enabling intermittent contaminants to be detected

their life cycles are usually on the order of months toyears long, which limits their ability to recolonize sitesrapidly


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Biotic indexA rating used in assessing the quality of the environment inecological terms.

Rivers can be classified according to the type of invertebratecommunity present in the water using a biotic index which is

largely an indication of the amount of dissolved oxygenpresent = a measure of the level of organic pollution.


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Biotic indexExample: very clean water, holding a wide variety of speciesincluding pollution-sensitive animals (e.g. stonefly and mayflynymphs) has a high biotic score. As pollution increases,oxygen levels decrease and the more sensitive speciesdisappear.

Badly polluted water, in which only a few tolerant species (e.g.red midge larvae and annelid worms) can survive, togetherwith a few animals which breathe air at the surface, has a verylow biotic source.


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Biotic indexMacroinvertebrate community assessments are being used asa planning tool for managing water uses, for ambientmonitoring and for evaluating the effectiveness of pollutioncontrol measures owing to the following reasons:

1) macroinvertebrates are differentially sensitive to pollutantsof various types and react to them quickly (wide range oftolerances).

2) macroinvertebratesare ubiquitous, abundant and relativelyeasy to collect, their identification and enumeration is not astedious and difficult (especially for most family level).


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Biotic index3) benthic macroinvertebrates are relatively sedentary andare therefore representative of local conditions.

4) macroinvertebrates have life spans long enough to providea record of environmental quality.

5) macroinvertebrate community is very heterogeneousconsisting of representatives of several phyla (high diversity).

6) the ease of sampling in most rivers.


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Belgian Biotic indexDe Pauwand Vanhooren, 1983

*The biological assessment of surface-water quality is basedon a qualitative sampling of the aquatic macroinvertebratefauna and use of the biotic index to express the biological

results.


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Belgian Biotic indexSampling equipment

*Handnet consisting of a metal frame holding a conical net;the fraame width of 30 cm, height of 20 cm and length of 50cm; a two meter long steel shaft; net being made of synthetic

textile with a mesh size of minimum 300 micron andmaximum 500micron.


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Belgian Biotic indexSampling procedure

*To allow a comparison of qualitative data, the samplingtechnique and effort werestandardized.

*Theobjective: collecting the most representative diversity of

macroinvertebrates at the station examined.

-All accessible aquatic habitats or microbiotopes mustbe explored including bottom substrata (stones, sand, mud),macrovegetation (floating, submerging, emerging) and allother substrata, natual and artificial, floating or submergedin the water.


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*To obtain comparable results, a sampling effort shouldcover:

-an effective river streatch of 10 to 20 m in a limited

period of time: from 3 min for water courses less than 2 mwide up to 5min for larger rivers;

-the sampling time may be divided in intervals to

explore all the characteristic habitats of the location

-a collection of animals taken by hand


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*To obtain comparable results, a sampling effort shouldcover:

-an effective river streatch of 10 to 20 m in a limited

period of time: from 3 min for water courses less than 2 mwide up to 5min for larger rivers;

-the sampling time may be divided in intervals to

explore all the characteristic habitats of the location

-a collection of animals taken by hand


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Belgian Biotic indexSampling procedureSampling in shallow fast running waters

The handnet is held in a vertical position on the riverbottom in downstream direction. The bottom material located

immeddiately upstream is turned over by hand or by foot.The dislodged animals are carried into the net by the current.

Attached or creeping specimens are removed by hand

or with a soft brush and added to the sample.

Repeated in several places of the river in longitudinalas well as transversal direction, within the riffles as well as

within the slower flowing parts.


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Belgian Biotic indexSampling procedureSampling in deep watercourses

The sampling can be done along the river bank in astretch covering up to 1m in depth.

Benthic animals are caught by moving and jerking thehandnet in the upstream direction over the substratum or bydisturbing and rooting up bottom material with ones feet.

Water plants, stones and other natural or artificial substratesare lifted and washed off in a bucket with water.

Larger animals may be also be handpicked and added

directly to the sample.


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Belgian Biotic indexSampling procedureSampling in slow running or stagnant watercourses

The handnet is swept with jerky movements throughthe upper layer of sediment (3 to 5 cm) and through themacrovegetation if present.

Care should be taken not to use the handnet as ashovel.

Additional hand sampling of the vegetation, stonesand other substrates is required to collect the attachedspecies.


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Belgian Biotic indexSampling procedureSome recommendations

*It is strongly recommended not to sample after a period ofheavy rainfall in order to avoid collection of too many driftorganisms.

*For large river it is highly recommended to sample both theleft and the right banks.

*Not to sample in the immediate proximity of the confluenceof two rivers or of a waste discharge. Sampling must be donebeyond the mixing zone to avoid misleading results.


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Belgian Biotic indexCalculation of the biotic index*The determination is based on the standard table having adouble horizontal and vertical entrance, one for thefaunisticgroupsand one for the number ofsystematic units.

Faunistic groups rank from 1to 7with regard to decreasingenvironmental requirements or increasing tolerance topollution (Column I).

Systematic units: the number of systematic units found in thesample (also see Table 3.1).

The crossing of a row and a column determines the biotic

index for a station.


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Belgian Biotic indexInterpretation of the biotic index

Generally, the highest biotic index of 10 is indicative of goodwater quality or absence of pollution. As the value of theindex decreases, the water quality deteriorates.

In order to synthesize the results, the 10 indices can beranged in five quality classes which may be visualised bydifferent colors (Table 3.3).


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Belgian Biotic indexInterpretation of the biotic index

Generally, the highest biotic index of 10 is indicative of goodwater quality or absence of pollution. As the value of theindex decreases, the water quality deteriorates.

In order to synthesize the results, the 10 indices can beranged in five quality classes which may be visualised bydifferent colors.


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EphemeropteraMayfly

Minnow Mayfly larva

Adult


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PlecopteraStonefly

Perlodidae


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TrichopteraCaddisfly

Brachycentrusmontanus

Glossosomatidae

Limnephiluslunatus

Polycentropussp.

Leptoceridae


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Odonata: Family Lestidae


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Odonata: Family Gomphidae


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Odonata: Family Cordulegasteridae


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Odonata: Family Aeshnidae


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Odonata: Family Corduliidae


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Odonata: Family Libellulidae


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Mollusca: Family Viviparidae


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Mollusca: FamilyAncylidae


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Mollusca: Family Unionidae


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DipteraTruefly

Family :Chironomidae

Diptera: Family Tipulidae- The


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pe a a y pu dae eCrane Flies

Diptera:FamilySimuliidae- The


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p yBlack Flies


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Crustacean: Family Gammaridae


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Wetland Water Quality Biological Assessment Presentation