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International Journal of Aquaculture, 2014, Vol.4, No.25, 1
-
7
http://ija.biopublisher.ca
1
Research Report Open Access
Studies on the Evaluation of Biocenosis in Sewage Oxidation Ponds for Fish
Culture
Sreenivasa V., Prabhdevi L. , Mitiku Tesso
Department of Biology, Ambo University, PO Box No. 19, Ambo, Ethiopia
Corresponding author Email
International Journal of Aquaculture, 2014, Vol.4, No.25 doi: 10.5376/ija.2014.04.0025
Received: 20 Sep., 2014
Accepted: 11 Oct., 2014
Published: 10 Dec., 2014
Copyright © 2014
Sreenivasa et al., This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Preferred citation for this article
:
Sreenivasa et al., 2014, Studies on the Evaluation of Biocenosis in Sewage Oxidation Ponds for Fish Culture, International Journal of Aquaculture, Vol.4,
No.25: 1-7 (doi
Abstract
Studies were conducted to assess the impact of Biocenosis on water quality parameters like temperature, pH, conductivity, total
alkalinity, chloride, dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide in the sewage oxidation ponds at Ambo University campus, Ethiopia. The
phytoplankton of 10 genera belonging to Chlorophyceae, Bacillariophyceae, Euglenoideae and Cyanophyceae as well as zooplankton such as
rotifers, ostracods and copepods were observed. The major benthic fauna recorded were seven genera of insects and a single genus of
oligochaete and nematode respectively. Three dominant bacterial genera namely
Enterobacter
sp,
E-coli
and
Pseudomonas
sp. were isolated
from the water. In McConkey agar medium the mean density of the bacterial population was found to be 27 x10
3
, 29 x10
3
and 6 x10
3
in
the three ponds respectively. Whereas, in the Pseudomonas agar they were found to be 79 x10
3
, 74x10
3
and 107x10
3
respectively in
ponds 1, 2 and 3. However, in the nutrient agar, the bacterial colonies were moderate in numbers and the mean values were 22 x10
3
, 37
x10
3
and 17x10
3
in pond 1, 2 and 3 respectively. The results on the physico-chemical parameters indicated that the alkaline pH
and high
dissolved oxygen in the second and third oxidation ponds were within the permissible level for fish culture. Further, the results on the
phytoplankton also revealed the high photosynthetic activity which enhances oxygen content and production of live food organisms.
Keywords
Biocenosis;
Enterobacter
sp.;
E. coli
;
Pseudomonas
sp
.
Introduction
Sewage water pollution is one of the major problems
faced by most cities in the developing countries creating a
number of health issues as well as environmental
pollution. In the developed countries domestic sewage is
treated by centralized sewage treatment plants in urban
areas. Whereas, constructed wet lands are widely used
in developing countries in which natural, microbial,
biological, physical and chemical processes are involved.
This system is particularly suited for tropical and
subtropical countries where high temperature and high
intensity of light promotes the efficiency of the
removal of waste components in the water (Mara et al.,
1992). In this system the algal diversity increases from
pond to pond along the series. The presence of the
microorganisms is essential in the biological
wastewater treatment systems where the organic matter
is degraded by a variety of microorganisms such as
bacteria, algae, protozoa and rotifers. The growth of
algae helps in the removal of pathogens and faecal
coliforms in synergy with photo-oxidation (Curtis,
1994). Twenty-five species of bacteria including
coliforms are used as water quality indicators for
drinking and bathing purpose (Klein and Casida, 1967)
Aeromonas
sp,
Enterobacter
sp
, Escherichia
sp
,
Flavobacterium
sp, and
Pseudomona
s sp. were
identified with the fish culture systems in Ghana
(Ampofo and Clerk, 2003).
During the course of sewage purification a
characteristic succession of biocenosis is observed in
the stabilization ponds. The microscopic flora and
fauna; bacteria, protozoa and algae in the ponds are
important in waste decomposition (Goulden, 1976;
Task Force on Natural Systems, 1990). Sewage
induces fluctuations on physico-chemical characteristics
of the water and influence the phytoplankton
dynamics (Liao and Lean, 1978; Wetzel, 1983;
Figueredo and Giani, 2001). Anneville et al. (2004)
reported that the sedimentation, grazing pressure, light,
CO
2
and nutrient concentration act as forces
responsible for the species composition of phytoplankton.
Munawar (1972 a & b) emphasized that the
euglenoids are the best indicators of organic pollution.
The most common bacterial pathogens in sewage are
Escherichia coli,
Salmonella
sp,
Shigella
sp, and