Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and chlorophyll a biomass as eutrophication indices in one of the most polluted basins off Alexandria coastal waters, Egypt

• Main Authors: Aboul-Kassim, T.A. (Alexandria Univ. (Egypt). Dept. of Oceanography), Dowidar, N.M, El-Nady, F.E, Abdel-Moati, A.R
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATE; ADENOSINTRIFOSFATO; AGUAS COSTERAS; AGUAS FECALES; AGUAS RESIDUALES; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; BACTERIA; Biological and medical sciences; Brackish; COASTAL WATERS; EAU USEE; EAU USEE DOMESTIQUE; EAUX COTIERES; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; EGIPTO; EGYPT; EGYPTE; EUTROFIZACION; EUTROPHICATION; EUTROPHISATION; FITOPLANCTON; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Marine and brackish environment; PHYTOPLANCTON; PHYTOPLANKTON; POLLUTION DE L'EAU; POLUCION DEL AGUA; SEWAGE; WASTEWATER; WATER POLLUTION; ZOOPLANCTON; ZOOPLANKTON
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-444-89990-3.50068-7

In recent years, the problem of sewage pollution of Alexandria, Egypt, coastal waters has become a point of national concern. Alexandria coasts annually receive about 183 x 10 super(6) m super(3) of untreated sewage and waste water. About 20% of this amount is discharged to the Eastern Harbour, the most polluted basin in Alexandria, rendering it highly eutrophic. The effect of sewage discharge on the different adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels in phytoplankton, zooplankton and bacteria as well as their equivalent living carbon biomass in the harbour water were carefully studied and discussed. The relative abundance of the different living biomass components was: zooplankton 50.02%, bacteria 28.18% and phytoplankton 21.80%. Total suspended matter (TSM), particulate organic matter (POM), particulate organic carbon (POC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were also studied.