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International Journal of Zoological Research

Year: 2005 | Volume: 1 | Issue: 1 | Page No.: 15-20
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Authors

V.F. Olaleye

A.A. Adedeji

Keywords

Research Article

Water and Planktonic Quality of a Palm Oil Effluent Impacted River in Ondo State, Nigeria

V.F. Olaleye and A.A. Adedeji
The planktonic and water quality of River Oluwa, Ondo State, Nigeria, under continuous perturbation from oil palm processing effluents were assessed at Oluagbo, Ebute-Ire and Araromi-Ayeka locations between April and September 2003. Water samples collected from the study sites were in the slightly acidic range (pH 6.45-6.75) with a mean alkalinity ranging between 30.1±4.6 and 38.5±3.8 mg L-1. The dissolved oxygen content of water rarely went below 3.0 mg L-1 and rarely above 7.0 mg L-1 irrespective of sampling location. Quantitatively, the levels of Fe and Cu with a mean concentration ranging between 3.07±1.58 and 10.35±3.33 mg L-1 were the major elements in the water sample while Na, K, Ca, Mg with mean concentrations between 1.05±0.02 and 4.10±1.65 mg L-1 were the minor elements. Irrespective of the site of sample collection on the river, the concentrations of Cr, Ni, Pb and P (<1.0 mg L-1) occurred in trace amounts. The phytoplanktonic flora of River Oluwa showed an extensive overlap between the sites due to homogenous climatic and environmental conditions. The recorded taxa consists of ten chlorophytes, five species of diatoms, three cyanophycean species and one euglenophyte. The zooplanktonic fauna consists of six species of rotifers. Spirogyra fluviatilis and Ulothrix zonata were the dominant green algae (Chlorophyta) irrespective of the location while Synedra sp. and Fragillaria crotonensis were the dominant diatoms (Bacillariophyta). Quantitatively, samples collected from the Oluagbo and Ebute-Ire locations had significantly higher (p<0.05) planktonic abundance than samples collected from the Araromi-Ayeka location.
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