ASPECTS OF PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND PHYTOPLANKTON ASSEMBLAGE OF RIVER SAYE, ZARIA, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA
ASPECTS OF PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND PHYTOPLANKTON ASSEMBLAGE OF RIVER SAYE, ZARIA, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA
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Date
2017-03
Authors
SALISU, Abubakar
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Abstract
Water quality is important to man because it is directly associated to human health. The presence of phytoplanktons in water bodies has led contamination. In this study, selected physico-chemical parameters andthe phytoplankton assemblage of River Saye, Zaria, Kaduna state were investigated for a period of one year between April 2014 and March 2015 from five sampling stations. The study was aimedat establishing the physical, chemical and phytoplankton parameters of the river. The phytoplanktons were collected using using silk plankton net of 25 cm diameter of 70 μm meshes attached to a bottle of fiffty (50 ml) capacity at the base,preserved in 4% formalin and stanined with Lugol’s iodine solution. It was then mounted on a compound microscope for identification using text book key and Robert perry guide line or key.The physicochemical were determined using standard methods. The mean values of the physico-chemical parameters were temperature (27.62±0.16°C), pH (8.56±0.20), electrical conductivity (EC) (121.80±49μs/cm), total dissolved solid (TDS) (64.43±2.52mg/l),dissolved oxygen (DO) (4.18±0.14mg/l) biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) (3.02±0.16mg/l), hardness (213.30±6.46mg/l), alkalinity (42.43±1.37mg/l) and chloride (38.84±1.25mg/l). Phosphate (0.20±0.01mg/l) which exceed the acceptable level of 0.10mg/l for natural water bodies and nitrate (0.20 ± 0.01). The means of all the measured physio-chemical parameters were highly significant (P<0.01). The phytoplanktons were more prevalent during dry season and there were variations in their composition and abundance along the river. Four groups of phytoplanktonin River Saye were recorded namely; Bacillariophyta with (25 genera), Chlorophyta (18 genera) Cyanophyta (9genera), Euglenophyta (3 genera). Bacillariophyta dominated numerically (47.50%), followed by Chlorophyta (36.16%) then Cyanophyta (12.98%) and Euglenophyta the (3.36%)learst. The distribution of phytoplankton between
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the Stations showed that stations 1, 2, 4 and 5 had higher phytoplankton than station 3. The presence of Navicula, Synedra, Anabaena, And Euglena indicate high level of phosphate pollution (synifying organic pollution). While the presence of Melosira, Scenedesmus, Oscillataria and Anabaena indicates nutrient enrichment of the river. And the presence of harmful plankton species like Coscinodiscus, Melosira, Navicula, Nitzschia, Pleurosigma, Synedra, Nodularia, Anabaena and Oscillatoria indicates that the river is highly disturbed. Generally, the phytoplankton community composition of the river indicated that the river is moderately polluted.
Description
A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARDOF MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN EDUCATIONALBIOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY
FACULTY OF LIFE SCIENCES
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA
NIGERIA
Keywords
ASPECTS,, PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PARAMETERS,, PHYTOPLANKTON ASSEMBLAGE,, RIVER SAYE,, ZARIA,, KADUNA STATE,, NIGERIA