Application of some biological indices to benthic macroinvertebrates related to water quality index of Lake Burullus, Egypt

Abstract

Lake Burullus is one of the most significant coastline lagoons in the Mediterranean basin. It is the second largest lake of the northern Egyptian lakes. It lies in the Nile Delta, between Longitude 30° 30-E and 31° 10-E and latitude 31° 21-N and 31° 35-N. The lake is separated from the Mediterranean Sea by a narrow sandbar. The area of Burullus Lake is about 420 km 2 of which 370 km 2 is open water (Younes, 2012). On the other side, the lake area was 588 km 2 in 1956 while it was 462 km 2 in 1974 and this reduction is owing to projects of reclamation along the eastern and southern sides of the lake and processes of fish farming (Younes, 2012). Lake Burullus is linked to the sea through the Burullus inlet (width 250 m and depth 5 m) at its northeastern edge. The lake is very shallow, with a depth ranged from 40 cm and 200 cm (El-Zeiny & El-Kafrawy, 2017). Eight drains (Burullus, El Gharbia, Nasser, Baltim, and drains 7, 8, 9, and 11) and only one canal (Brimbal Canal) discharge agricultural drainage water into the lake (El Baz, 2015). Domestic wastes, industrial and agricultural discharges have increased the pollutants in the lake. The increasing pollution of water resources in Lake Burullus makes the lake under severe ARTICLE INFO