Physico-chemical limnology and periphyton in a warm-water stream receiving wastewater treatment plant effluent

Brigham, Allison R.

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/91023 Copy

Description

Title

Physico-chemical limnology and periphyton in a warm-water stream receiving wastewater treatment plant effluent

Author(s)

Brigham, Allison R.

Contributor(s)

Illinois Natural History Survey

Issue Date

1972-09

Keyword(s)

• Water resource development--Illinois
• Water resources development
• Wastewater
• Waste water
• Limnology
• Periphyton
• Bacterial uptake kinetics
• Nutrient assimilation
• Stream pollution

Geographic Coverage

Illinois (state)

Abstract

Physical, chemical, and biological parameters were monitored at five stations in the Asa Creek-Kaskaskia River system, Moultrie County, Illinois, from 12 September 1969 through 7 September 1970 to characterize these streams as a periphyton habitat. Periphyton accrual and periphytic bacterial uptake kinetics studies continued until 10 December 1970 to determine the effect of the effluent from the Sullivan wastewater treatment plant on assimilation of dissolved organic matter by the periphyton community. The results of the coordinated physical, chemical, and biological study of 34 parameters measured biweekly revealed that there was no gross evidence of any differences between the creek and river sampling sites as determined by these measurements. Wastewater treatment was of such high quality that the effluent was generally undetectable 2 km downstream from the outfall. Only nitrate- nitrogen, ammonia-nitrogen, and phosphorus (all forms) concentrations were directly attributable to the effluent in Asa Creek, the receiving stream. Of eight parameters measured during the periphyton accrual study, four were found to be significantly different among stations. These included standing crop (biomass), organic content, and productivities (biomass and caloric value). The range of production efficiency of the periphyton community was 0.004 to 0.165% among the five stations. Intrastation correlations among these parameters revealed that the discharge of effluent into Asa Creek coupled with Asa Creek's low stream order resulted in not only a wide flux of physical-chemical conditions, but had a varied effect on the periphyton. Greater stability in the Kaskaskia River, a higher order stream, was reflected in more predictable levels of physicochemical parameters and in more stable periphyton communities which developed there. Planktonic and pariphytic bacterial chemo-organotraphy, with acetate as the substrate, were measured and evaluated through enzyme kinetics analysis procedures. The maximum bacterial uptake velocity, the maximum natural substrate concentrations, and the substrate regeneration time of acetate, are presented. Bacterial uptake kinetics experiments demonstrated that the periphyton, at stations influenced by the wastewater treatment plant effluent, assimilated two to three times more dissolved organic matter than at stations not influenced by the effluent. The influence of the treatment plant was not as apparent for assimilation by planktonic bacteria. This reinforced the premise that the attached community was the most sensitive to subtle changes in the aquatic environment.

Publisher

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Water Resources Center

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/91023

Sponsor(s)/Grant Number(s)

• U.S. Department of the Interior
• U.S. Geological Survey

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 1972 held by Allison Roeske Brigham

Owning Collections