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Application of Diatom Indices in a Planted Ditch Constructed for Tertiary Sewage Treatment in Schwaan, Germany
Author(s) -
Köster Dörte,
Hübener Thomas
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
international review of hydrobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.524
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1522-2632
pISSN - 1434-2944
DOI - 10.1002/1522-2632(200104)86:2<241::aid-iroh241>3.0.co;2-h
Subject(s) - diatom , trophic level , environmental science , water quality , total organic carbon , pollution , wetland , ditch , environmental chemistry , ecology , biology , chemistry
The present study quantified the decrease of organic and trophic pollution in a constructed wetland used for tertiary sewage treatment. Different diatom indices [the saprobic zoning system of Lange‐Bertalot (1978, 1979), the saprobic index (SI) of Rott et al. (1997), as well as the trophic indices of Schiefele and Kohmann (1993); Kelly and Whitton (1995) and Rott et al. (1999)] were tested for their effectiveness in detecting changes in water quality of highly organic and trophic waters. The saprobic zoning system detected nearly the same pollution levels as the chemical data, but the measured saprobic characteristics (e.g. TOC: Total Organic Carbon) did not correspond to significant changes in the diatom assemblages. The data suggested that the results of the saprobic zoning system were influenced by differences in nitrate concentrations. The trophic diatom indices correlated relatively well with the inorganic compound chemical data.