Abstract:
The use of benthic macroinvertabrates together with physico- chemical parameters are
considered as the reliable method for water quality assessment. The main objective of this
study was to determine the water qualities of Meta River using biological and physico
chemical parameters. One reference site which is less affected by the beer factory effluent
discharge and two affected sites in the down stream were used to collect the water
samples. A total of three water samples were collected from the three sampling sites. Each
water sample was subjected to various physico-chemical analyses. Nine physico-chemical
parameters pH, temperature, E.C, TDS, salinity, turbidity, nitrate-nitrogen, nitritenitrogen,
phosphate were used. There were significant differences in most of the physicochemical
parameters (p<0.05) between reference and impacted sites. Higher value of EC,
Salinity, TDS, nitrate-nitrogen, and Nitrite-nitrogen was recorded at affected sites (site II
and site III) than reference site (site I). Most of the physico-chemical parameters were out
of WHO and EPA water quality standared. Total of 392 benthic macro invertabrates
belonging to 10 species were collected. In addition, identification and quantification of
benthic macro inveretabretes was carried out for each sampling sites. Most of the benthic
macro invertabrates significantly correlated with almost all physico-chemical parameters.
Chironomus riparius was correlated positively with Temprature (r=0.851),
TDS(r=0.9270), Nitrate (r=0.858) and Nitrite (r=0.898). The Hilsenhoff biotic indexI was categorized under good water quality in contrast to results of physico-chemical
parameters. Reference site I had large number of macro-invertebrates with moderate
tolerance and pollution sensitive groups. Waste water discharged to the nearby Rivers has
enormous effect on the degradation of the ecosystem. From this study we conclude that
Beer factory Effluent affects the quality of Meta River. To sustain the ecological
conditions of the nearby Rivers, wastewater treatment and environmental audit are
suggested.
categorized the impacted sites under poor very substantial pollution water quality but site
