EFFECT OF DOMESTIC EFFLUENT, AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION ON AQUATIC MACROINVERTEBRA TES WITH EMPHASIS ON CHIRONOMIDAE (DIPTERA) AT COMMUNITY, INDIVIDUAL AND MOLECULAR LEVELS

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Date
2011-02
Authors
AL-SHAMI, SALMAN ABDO ALI
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Abundance and diversity of macroinvertebrates as well as physico-chemical parameters of the water were investigated in five rivers of the Juru River Basin in northern Peninsula Malaysia; Ceruk Tok Kun River (CTKR), Pasir River (PR), Permatang Rawa River (PRR), Kilang Ubi River (KUR), and Juru River (JR). A total of 23 macro invertebrate genera and nine chironomid species including Chironomus kiiensis, C. javanus, Polypedilum trigonus, Microchironomus sp., Dicrotendipes sp., Tanytarsus formosanus, Clinotanypus sp., Tanypus punctipennis and Fittkauimyia .sp. were identified. ExceptJor C. javanus~ the. abundallce of chironomid species differed significantly among the rivers (Kruskal Wallis Test, P<O.05). Following the water quality index (WQI), CTKR, PR and JR were classified as Class III (slightly polluted rivers) while PRR and KUR fell in the Class IV (polluted) rivers. The CCA model separated macroinvertebrates into assemblages of slightly polluted (CTKR), moderately polluted (JR) and polluted (PRR, PR and KUR) rivers. The 19 physico-chemical parameters considered in the model explained 62% of the total variance explained (TVE). The CCA biplot showed that the chironomids, Dicrotendipes sp. and Microchironomus sp., preferred environmental conditions with relatively moderate to high water temperature, Total Organic Matter (TOM), Total Suspended Solid (TSS), pH and sulphate. Together with C. kiiensis and C. javanus, these species were relatively tolerant to concentrations of Zn and Cu. Tanytarsus formosanus was sensitive to changes in dissolved oxygen concentration. However, C. kiiensis, C. javanus, P. trigonus and Tp. punctipennis were negatively influenced by the oxygen content in the water implying their tolerance to low oxygen levels. In addition C. kiiensis and C. javanus, showed high tolerance to elevated concentrations of several pollution indicators such as TOM, TSS, BOD, ammonia-N and nitrate-No In contrast, T formosanus was very sensitive to these factors. The negative effect of river physico-chemical parameters and pollutants in the waters and sediments on Chironomus spp. larvae was studied on the morphological deformities in parts of the head capsule (mentum, antenna, mandible and epipharyngis). The highest mean deformity was recorded in KUR (47.17%) followed by PRR (33.71%) and PR (30.34%). The total deformity incidence illustrated by the RDA model, was strongly correlated with high contents of sediment Mn and Ni. The mentum and epipharyngis deformity incidences were highly correlated with increase in TSS, total aluminum, and ammonium-N, and decreases in pH and DO. The mentum deformity incidences was utilized to develop a modified toxic score index (MTSI) based on Lenat's toxic score index (TSI) showed stronger relationship to total deformity incidence (DI). Developmental instability in Chironomus spp. based on the presence of fluctuating asymmetry (FA) was assessed on larvae collected from PPR. The FA indices were measured for three selected traits; width of the mentum, the length of the first and the second antennal segments. Monthly measurements of these traits confirmed the occurence of FA. The ordination model RDA showed that dissolved oxygen and water quality in the river expressed as WQI negatively influenced all FA indices (FA, AbsF A and CFA) of the width of the larval mentum and the length of antenna I segments one and two. Genotoxicity of sub-lethal concentrations of cadmium (0.1, 1, and 10 rug/I), copper (0.2, 2, and 20 rng/l) and zinc (0.5, 5, and 50 rug/I) on C. kiiensis larvae was examined after 24 h exposure, using the alkaline comet assay electrophoresis. The highest concentration of Cd had caused higher DNA damage to C. kiiensis larvae compared to Cu and Zn. The effect of pollutants in sediments was inspected by exposing C. kiiensis larvae to sediments from SR, PRR and KUR for 6, 12,24 and 48 h. Pollution level indexed by the amounts of physico-chemical parameters and pollutants in the water and sediment showed progressive increase from SR to PRR to KUR. Most of C. kiiensis larvae did not survive following long periods of exposure to highly polluted sediments (PRR to KUR). DNA analyses revealed greater damage in cells derived from larvae maintained in polluted sediments, particularly that of KUR. The effects on the genomic material of C. kiiensis larvae increased with increase in exposure time.
Description
Keywords
EFFECT OF DOMESTIC EFFLUENT , INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION
Citation