ASSESSMENT OF ORGANIC POLLUTION IN EAST AL-HAMMAR MARSH USING PALMER'S ALGAL INDEX, BASRAH, SOUTHERN OF IRAQ

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate the water quality of East Al-Hammar Marsh in Basrah, Iraq, by utilizing phytoplankton as a biological indicator and applying Palmer's Algal Pollution Index Phytoplankton samples were collected using a 20 μm mesh size net from three stations (S1 in Harir, S2 in Al Salal, and S3 in Al Barka) in East Al-Hammar Marsh between 2019 and 2020 during the winter months (December, January, and February) and summer months (June, July, and August). Palmer’s Index was used to evaluate the water quality of Al-Hammar Marsh based on both algae genus and species composition. The overall scores for the S1, S2, and S3 algae genera pollution index in the winter months were 35, 28, and 30 respectively. In summer, the scores for the same stations were 21, 15, and 22, respectively. For the algae species pollution index, winter scores were 16, 20, and 22, and summer scores were 21, 18, and 16, respectively. According to the index, a total score of 15 to 20 indicates an organic pollution, and more than 20 indicates a high organic pollution.The genera with tolerance to pollution were Cyanophyta, like Oscillatoria Vaucher ex Gomont,1892 and Phormidium Kützing ex Gomont,1892; Bacillariophyta, like Cyclotella Kützing, 1846 Gomphonema C.G. Ehrenberg,1832, Navicula Bory de Saint-Vincent,1822, Nitzschia Hassall, 1845, Synedra Ehrenberg,1830, and Chlorophyta, like Pandorina Bory de Saint-Vincent, 1824, Scenedesmus Meyen, 1829, Ankistrodesmus Corda, 1838, Chlamydomonas Ehrenberg, 1833, and Euglenophyta, like Euglena Ehrenberg, 1830 and Phacus Dujardin, 1841. The Palmer index was an important instrument for displaying the probability of pollution in surface water. Compared to the species index, the Palmer index of genera was more useful for the same sampling station, the pollution in the form of the Palmer index varies slightly over time from winter to summer or geographically along the water courses. Generally speaking, organic contamination affects the Al-Hammar Marsh’s surface water in most of the sampled stations.