Phytoplankton population as alarming warning bioindicator of water pollution in El-Temsah Lake, Egypt

Abstract

Relative effects of spatio-seasonal variations on the quantitative and qualitative status of phytoplankton in 20 sampling locations of Temsah Lake were examined during winter and summer 2018. The study reveals that the population structure consisted of 105 species from 69 genera, with an annual average of 924155 cell/L. Bacillariophyceae formed the most dominant group with 42.45% of total phytoplankton with an average of 372379 cell/L. Navicula creptocephala was the most abundant species representing 19.16% of total diatoms and 7.78% of the whole standing crop with an annual average of 376879 cell/L. The highest phytoplankton abundance was in the Northern locations. Phytoplankton density showed a negative correlation of pH, temperature and TDS and positively correlated with nutrient content such as nitrate and silicate. In general, summer showed high indices value compared to winter and the diversity index in the current study ranged in moderate pollution range. The polluted state of the aquatic ecosystem in El-Temsah Lake during summer is comparatively higher than winter during the study period. Palmer’s and diversity indices showed that Northern sites were the most flourishing and polluted sites. The study also recorded a number of tolerate algae (13 genera and 8 species), which can be used as an indicator for different degrees of organic pollution. Genus and species Palmer’s Index scores of the northern site were in the range of ≥20 during summer, indicating most of the sampling locations showed probable to confirmed high level of organic pollution.

Impact of some trace elements on the quality of edible fish species and its human health risks from Timsah Lake, Egypt

“…This influx of various water types causes salinity stratification within the lake (El-Serehy et al, 2018;Dar et al, 2020). The lake's health, diversity of native fish and richness, and other plant and animal populations are threatened by the increase in ship repair, sewage dumps, and agricultural runoff that have sprung up as a result of the lake's popularity (Elshobary et al, 2021).…”