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Evaluation of the Trophic Diatom Index for assessing water quality in River Gharasou, western Iran

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Abstract

Water quality, diatom species composition and biomass estimates were performed in the Gharasou River in western Iran. Five sites along the River Gharasou were sampled every month from April to September 2005. Physical and chemical factors (pH, NO3–N, PO4–P, dissolved oxygen, total suspend solids, total dissolved solids, conductivity, turbidity, chemical oxygen demand and biological oxygen demand) were measured along with biological properties of the periphyton including biomass, ash-free dry mass, chlorophyll-a concentration and the taxonomic composition diatom assemblages. Information from the diatom assemblage was used to calculate the Trophic Diatom Index and biovolume. The TDI was significantly correlated with measures of human disturbance at the sites (e.g. PO4–P, NO3–N and dissolved oxygen) as well as to biomass measures (chlorophyll a, ash-free dry mass and biovolume). The sensitivity of the TDI and its component metrics to environmental stressors supports the use of this index for monitoring ecological conditions in streams in Iran and to aid diagnosis of the cause of their impairment.

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to Dr Lydia King (University of Lancaster, UK) and Dr Ingrid Jüttner (National Museum of Wales, UK) for constructive reviews of earlier drafts of this paper and to Kermanshah Department of Environment for provision of data on BOD and COD from the study sites.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Razi University, Baghabrisham, Kermanshah, 67149, Iran

    Islam Atazadeh & Mozafar Sharifi

  2. Razi University Center for Environmental Studies, Baghabrisham, Kermanshah, 67149, Iran

    Mozafar Sharifi

  3. Bowburn Consultancy, 11 Monteigne Drive, Bowburn, Durham, DH6 5QB, UK

    M. G. Kelly

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  1. Islam Atazadeh
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  2. Mozafar Sharifi
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  3. M. G. Kelly
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Correspondence to Islam Atazadeh.

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Handling editor: L. Naselli-Flores

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Atazadeh, I., Sharifi, M. & Kelly, M.G. Evaluation of the Trophic Diatom Index for assessing water quality in River Gharasou, western Iran. Hydrobiologia 589, 165–173 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-0736-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-0736-0

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