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Cyanobacterial flora from polluted industrial effluents
Amit Parikh1, Vishal Shah, Datta Madamwar
1Postgraduate Department of Biosciences, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar, 388120, Gujarat, India.
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
|June 17, 2006
Summary
Industrial effluents discharged along India's west coast host diverse cyanobacterial communities. Pollution significantly impacts water quality and cyanobacterial species composition, with genera like Phormidium dominating.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Microbiology
- Ecotoxicology
Background:
- Industrial effluents from pesticide, agro-chemical, and textile dye industries often contain high levels of pollutants.
- These effluents, despite their anthropogenic nature, support dynamic cyanobacterial communities.
- Cyanobacteria play crucial roles in aquatic ecosystems, even under polluted conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To document cyanobacterial cultures in industrial effluents along India's west coast.
- To investigate the relationship between water quality parameters and cyanobacterial community structure.
- To identify dominant cyanobacterial genera in polluted water channels.
Main Methods:
- Physico-chemical analysis of water samples to assess pollution intensity.
- Collection and analysis of sediment and water samples for cyanobacteria.
- Identification and enumeration of cyanobacterial species and genera.
Main Results:
- Effluents exhibited high turbidity, color, nutrient load, solids, and carbon.
- Sediment and water samples were consistently colored.
- Forty cyanobacterial species from 14 genera and 5 families were identified.
- An elevated occurrence of Phormidium, Oscillatoria, and Chroococcus genera was observed across all sites.
Conclusions:
- Anthropogenic pollution significantly influences cyanobacterial community structure in industrial effluents.
- Specific cyanobacterial genera, notably Phormidium, Oscillatoria, and Chroococcus, are resilient and prevalent in polluted environments.
- The study highlights the ecological impact of industrial discharge on microbial life.