Pollution by heavy metal ions is one of the major environmental problems in many countries. In this study, four different species of dried marine macroalgae, Ulva lactuca, Jania rubens, Pterocladia capillacea and Colpomenia sinosa were used for the removal of toxic heavy metal ions Pb +2 , Cd +2 and Ni +2 from synthetic wastewater. In general, the highest efficiency of metal ion bioremoval was recorded for red alga J. rubens followed by C. sinosa and the lowest one was recorded for U. lactuca, with mean removal values of 91%, 89% and 85%, respectively. The effect of several parameters such as contact time, algal dose, effect of pH, and initial concentration of metal ions on the adsorption process was estimated. The optimum adsorption was found to occur at pH 5.0, contact time 60 min, adsorbent dose 20 g/L and initial concentration 40 mg/L. This work confirms the potential use of red macroalga J. rubens as an inexpensive and efficient alternative technology, for sequestering heavy metal ions from wastewater.

The present study carried out to clarify the impact of heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn and Cd) pollution of Rosetta Branch on the antioxidant defence system activities and lipid peroxidation indicator MDA levels in O. niloticus tissues (liver and white muscles) collected from three stations from Rosetta Branch of River Nile in summer 2014 and winter 2015. Rosetta Branch of River Nile exposed to high input of agricultural drainage water, sewage and industrial waste water which influence the living organisms especially fish. In the present study, results revealed that high concentrations of heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn and Cd) were detected in water and fish samples, especially in winter. In muscles of O. niloticus, the accumulation patterns of heavy metals were in the following order: Fe > Zn > Mn > Cu and Cd. The bioaccumulation factor (BAF) in winter was higher than summer. Antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GPx, GST and GR) activities and the indicator of lipid peroxidation MDA levels in liver and white muscles of O. niloticus were found to be significantly increased compared to the reference values, especially in winter. Moreover, the antioxidant enzymes activities and MDA levels were higher in liver than white muscles. These remarkable alterations in the activity of the selected enzymes in the liver and white muscles of the O. niloticus go in parallel with the elevation in the levels of heavy metals detected in the water of Rosetta branch, as a result of pollution stress in these areas. Thus we conclude that, the altered activities of SOD, CAT, GPx, GST and GR) and MDA levels could be useful biomarkers of water pollution.

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The River Nile is the essence of life in Egypt, but during the last decades its water quality has been changed by several factors, as a result of anthropogenic activities. The western branch of the River Nile is Rosetta Branch receives different types of pollution. The main origins of most pollutants are El-Rahawy drain and industrial activities in Kafr El-Zayat city. Water samples were analysed for physico-chemical parameters and blood samples for biochemical parameters of the Nile Tilapia; Oreochromis niloticus, to investigate the responses of fish towards these different types of pollution. Samples were collected from three sites from Rosetta branch of the River Nile during summer 2014 and winter 2015. S2 and S3 recorded an increase in water electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD), while dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH have been depleted. Nitrite, nitrates and ammonia levels also showed an elevation, especially in winter. Moreover, fundamental biochemical parameters such as; glucose, total protein, total lipid, albumin, cholesterol, triglycerides, kidney functions and liver functions in blood serum of O. niloticus recorded remarkable alterations, indicating stressful conditions, caused by the profound pollutants and poor water quality of water at these sites.

Unlike with Eimeria species infecting chickens, specific identification and nomenclature of Eimeria species infecting turkeys is complicated, and in the absence of molecular data, imprecise. In an attempt to reconcile contradictory data reported on oocyst morphometrics and biological descriptions of various Eimeria species infecting turkey, we established single oocyst derived lines of 5 important Eimeria species infecting turkeys, Eimeria meleagrimitis (USMN08-01 strain), Eimeria adenoeides (Guelph strain), Eimeria gallopavonis (Weybridge strain), Eimeria meleagridis (USAR97-01 strain), and Eimeria dispersa (Briston strain). Short portions (514 bp) of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (mt COI) from each were amplified and sequenced. Comparison of these sequences showed sufficient species-specific sequence variation to recommend these short mt COI sequences as species-specific markers. Uniformity of oocyst features (dimensions and oocyst structure) of each pure line was observed. Additional morphological features of the oocysts of these species are described as useful for the microscopic differentiation of these Eimeria species. Combined molecular and morphometric data on these single species lines compared with the original species descriptions and more recent data have helped to clarify some confusing, and sometimes conflicting, features associated with these Eimeria spp. For example, these new data suggest that the KCH and KR strains of E. adenoeides reported previously represent 2 distinct species, E. adenoeides and E. meleagridis, respectively. Likewise, analysis of the Weybridge strain of E. adenoeides, which has long been used as a reference strain in various studies conducted on the pathogenicity of E. adenoeides, indicates that this coccidium is actually a strain of E. gallopavonis. We highly recommend mt COI sequence-based genotyping be incorporated into all studies using Eimeria spp. of turkeys to confirm species identifications and so that any resulting data can be associated correctly with a single named Eimeria species.