Assessment of Downstream pollution Profiles of Awassa Textile Factory Effluent along Tikur Wuha River using Physico-chemical and Macroinvertebrate Indicators

Abraha, Birenesh Abay (2007) Assessment of Downstream pollution Profiles of Awassa Textile Factory Effluent along Tikur Wuha River using Physico-chemical and Macroinvertebrate Indicators. Masters thesis, Addis Ababa University.

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate pollution profiles of Awassa Textile Factory wastewater and examine its ecological impact in terms of the effect on aquatic biota using macroinvertebrates as bioindicator downstream along Tikur Wuha River. The water quality parameters used to investigate pollution profiles of the wastewater were COD, BOD5, total nitrogen, phosphorus. sulphide, total dissolved solids, conductivity, total suspended solids and heavy metals (Chromium(Cr), Nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb,Cadmium (Cd), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu) and Iron (Fe). The result showed that the pollution profiles for the downstream Tikur Wuha River were significant with COD and BOD5 concentrations ranging from 590±128.4–2062.4±483.1mg/l, respectively. Total nitrogen and phosphorus varied from 21.2±1.6–42.2±1.8 and 1.79±0.5–3.98±1.0mg/l, espectively. Sulphide, total dissolved solids, conductivity; total suspended solids also varied from 0.67±0.2–1.6±0.5, 608.3±140.5–1987.2±92 and 1067±249.1–548.3±163.9 mg/l, respectively. Whereas the concentration of total suspended solids,total Chromium(Cr), Nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb, Cadmium (Cd), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu) and Iron (Fe) were in the range of (254.7±1.8–1245±18.3mg/l), ( 0.03- 0.15±0.04 mg/l), ( 0.02 - 0.18±0.06 mg/l) , (0.02 - 0.10±0.03 mg/l), (0.02 - 0.04 mg/l), (0.03- 0.08±0.01 mg/l) ,( 0.02 - 0.07 mg/l), (0.52±0.1 - 1.45±0.02 mg/l) , respectively. Similar emphasis was placed on determining the effects of the textile wastewater on aquatic biota (macroinvertebrates). A total of 18,651 macroinvertebrate individuals belonging to 34 families were collected from 6 sites along Tikur Wuha River. Benthic metric results indicated that the most impacted sites (S1 and S2) ranked last on all positive metrics, while the reference site (S6) ranked first on all positive twelve metrics. The progression of biological impairment among sites as compared to the reference site (S1) was the lower reach sites (Site 5, 4 and 3) obtained highly impaired scores on four metrics (%EPT, %Ephem., %Trico. and % Pleco.); and slightly impaired on other four metrics (%DT, SDI, HFBI and BMI); and the upper sites (S1 and 2) were assessed as severely impaired on all metrics. The most impacted sites (S1 and S2) registered high values of negative indices and low values of positive indices indicating poorest water quality than the reference site.

Item Type: Thesis (Masters)
Subjects: G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences
Q Science > Q Science (General)
Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology
Divisions: Africana
Depositing User: Selom Ghislain
Date Deposited: 19 Sep 2018 13:09
Last Modified: 19 Sep 2018 13:09
URI: http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/5427

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