TY - JOUR
T1 - Use of ciliates (Protozoa: Ciliophora) as bioindicator to assess sediment quality of two constructed mangrove sewage treatment belts in Southern China
AU - Chen, Qing Hua
AU - Xu, Run Lin
AU - Tam, Nora F.Y.
AU - Cheung, Siu Gin
AU - Shin, Paul K.S.
N1 - Funding Information:
The work described in this paper was supported by the Areas of Excellence Scheme established under the University Grants Committee of the Hong Kong SAR (Project No. AoE/P-04/2004) and the provision of National Nature Fund Grant (U0633002). The authors would like to thank the officers in Futian Nature Reserve, Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, China for their assistance in field sampling.
PY - 2008
Y1 - 2008
N2 - To complement physical and chemical data, information of biological communities is important to assess the qualities of mangrove sediments receiving wastewater. Ciliate communities have cosmopolitan distribution, short life cycle and high sensitivity to pollutants, which make them useful as biological indicators of the sediment environment. In most literature, ciliates are widely used as bioindicators for the state of water quality. In this study, the physico-chemical parameters and ciliate community structure of surface sediment collected at different sampling points from two constructed mangrove (Aegiceras and Sonneratia) belts for treatment of municipal sewage in southern China were investigated. Results showed that most (> 80%) of the 216 species ciliates identified at the two constructed mangrove belts were either omnivorous or bacterivorous. Sediment redox potential (Eh) was considered an important factor to govern the distribution of ciliate species within the mangrove sediment. The saprobic system originally derived from freshwater ecosystem was used to evaluate the saprobic degrees of these constructed mangrove belts. Saprobic index (SI) values declined from the sewage inlet to the outlet points of the constructed belts, suggesting better sediment quality at the outlet point caused by treatment processes within the mangrove belt system. Sediment quality of the sewage outlet area of the constructed Aegiceras belt was determined as class II-III (SI = 2.48), while that of the Sonneratia belt was as class III (SI = 2.71) according to the saprobic classification, indicating that a better sewage treatment efficiency was apparent in the Aegiceras than Sonneratia belt. The present data suggested that ciliates could serve as a good bioindicator in assessing organically polluted sediment qualities.
AB - To complement physical and chemical data, information of biological communities is important to assess the qualities of mangrove sediments receiving wastewater. Ciliate communities have cosmopolitan distribution, short life cycle and high sensitivity to pollutants, which make them useful as biological indicators of the sediment environment. In most literature, ciliates are widely used as bioindicators for the state of water quality. In this study, the physico-chemical parameters and ciliate community structure of surface sediment collected at different sampling points from two constructed mangrove (Aegiceras and Sonneratia) belts for treatment of municipal sewage in southern China were investigated. Results showed that most (> 80%) of the 216 species ciliates identified at the two constructed mangrove belts were either omnivorous or bacterivorous. Sediment redox potential (Eh) was considered an important factor to govern the distribution of ciliate species within the mangrove sediment. The saprobic system originally derived from freshwater ecosystem was used to evaluate the saprobic degrees of these constructed mangrove belts. Saprobic index (SI) values declined from the sewage inlet to the outlet points of the constructed belts, suggesting better sediment quality at the outlet point caused by treatment processes within the mangrove belt system. Sediment quality of the sewage outlet area of the constructed Aegiceras belt was determined as class II-III (SI = 2.48), while that of the Sonneratia belt was as class III (SI = 2.71) according to the saprobic classification, indicating that a better sewage treatment efficiency was apparent in the Aegiceras than Sonneratia belt. The present data suggested that ciliates could serve as a good bioindicator in assessing organically polluted sediment qualities.
KW - Bioindicator
KW - Ciliates
KW - Constructed mangrove wetland
KW - Saprobic system
KW - Sediment quality
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=46549084527&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2008.03.015
DO - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2008.03.015
M3 - Article
C2 - 18439627
AN - SCOPUS:46549084527
SN - 0025-326X
VL - 57
SP - 689
EP - 694
JO - Marine Pollution Bulletin
JF - Marine Pollution Bulletin
IS - 6-12
ER -
