Assessment of pollutants in coastal waters, sediments, and biota of marine ecosystems in Algeria, North Africa

This study aimed at monitoring and management of the surface water and potentially pathogenic microbes of Lake Tonga (Algeria) with respect to. It characterized the main bacterial diversity patterns of Lake Tonga and predicted from water physicochemical parameters and water quality index (WQI) the distribution of bacterial species and the main indicator groups of faecal water contamination. Water samples were taken monthly at three sampling sites of different water depths. Several physicochemical parameters were measured; of which some were included in computing WQI to characterize the water quality of the lake. Counting, isolation and bacterial identification methods were used to characterize the existing aerobic heterotrophic bacteria. The composition of the microbial community of the waterbody of Lake Tonga included an abundant culturable bacterial flora belonging to several bacterial families and whose specific richness varied between water depths of the sites sampled. Species richness of the bacteria identified phenotypically varied between 7 and 11 per sample. The site with shallow water was the richest in bacterial species, compared to moderate and deep waters. The redundancy analysis showed the main physicochemical drivers of the microbial community composition. Our findings showed that high WQI scores indicated the water quality deterioration which triggered the increase in total load of faecal indicator bacterial groups. This study identified in Lake Tonga an important culturable aerobic bacterial flora whose specific richness and distribution varied spatially following the effects of water physicochemical parameters. Lake Tonga needs an integrated management plan to mitigate human disturbances declining water quality.

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Water Quality Assessment and Heavy Metal Levels in Mudskipper (Periophthalmus Papilio), Sediments and Water of Mangrove Swamps, Rivers State, Nigeria

I. C.,

O.,

C. O.

2024

African Journal of Environment and Natural Science Research

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A study was conducted to determine the physicochemical parameters of surface water and heavy metal concentrations in the mudskipper (Periophthalmus papilio) fish, sediments, and water collected from the Ikpukulu, Kalio, and Ogoloma swamps of Okrika Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria and analysed using standard methods. All samples were collected for six months from three stations in 2023. The results indicate that pH and temperature values were significantly lower across stations in terms of physicochemical properties than standards. However, there was a significant increase in electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, and salinity. Ikpukulu had the highest EC (1917 uS/cm), while Kalio had the highest salinity (333.3 ppm). All stations had significant decreases in dissolved oxygen (DO) and biological oxygen demand (BOD), with Ogoloma having the lowest values (DO: 3.2 mg/L, BOD: 2.9 mg/L). Copper and chromium levels were significantly higher than the standards in all stations, while cadmium levels were not significantly different from those in the standards. As compared with the standards, copper levels in water samples were considerably higher, especially in Ogoloma (2.03 mg/kg). Ogoloma had a higher concentration of chromium. Cadmium levels decreased significantly at all stations for the mudskipper (P. papilio). The copper levels in Ogoloma and the chromium levels in Ikpukulu were significantly higher than those in standards. The results of the study suggest an increase in heavy metal concentrations in the mangrove swamp region, emphasising the need for proactive measures to mitigate activities that may adversely affect the aquatic ecosystem and the communities that depend on it.

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Assessment of pollutants in coastal waters, sediments, and biota of marine ecosystems in Algeria, North Africa

Cited by 3 publications

References 58 publications

Analysis of Perchlorate in Aquatic Food and Evaluation of Human Exposure

Analysis of Perchlorate in Aquatic Food and Evaluation of Human Exposure

Water physicochemical quality as driver of spatial and temporal patterns of microbial community composition in lake ecosystems

Water Quality Assessment and Heavy Metal Levels in Mudskipper (Periophthalmus Papilio), Sediments and Water of Mangrove Swamps, Rivers State, Nigeria

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