Algal Survey in Wastewater Channel of Erbil City, Iraq

Abstract

The present study describes the algal assemblages at 3 sites within Erbil wastewater channel which extended from southwest of Erbil city with their elongation for more than 50 km effluent discharges into Greater Zab River, with particular reference to abundance, distribution and periodicity were investigated in the samples collected. A total of 56 taxes was identified belongs to 3 divisions, among them 26 taxa were belong of Bacillariophyta, 18 taxa were Cyanophyta and 12 taxa were Chlorophyta. The seasonality of algal assemblage was decreased at 3 sites within Erbil wastewater channel in January and February-2011. The dominate genera among non-diatoms were, Oscillatoria, Merismopedia Chroococcus, Ulothrix, Scendesmus and Spirogyra whereas among the diatoms were Navicula, Syndra, Gomphonema, and Fragilaria, have been studied, in addition to many environmental parameters such as water temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), phosphate, sulfate, nitrate dissolved oxygen and BOD5 were evaluated to explain the effect of these parameters on algal distribution in waste water channel in Erbil city