Monitoring of Surface Water Pollution Based on

Biological Indicators

Royal Botanic Garden1st Annual Scientific Day

Thursday January 12, 2012Amman, Jordan

Stephan Fuchs, Ahmad Katbeh-Bader, Mai Mohammad Alkhateeb

Outline

• General Introduction

• Legal Background for Water Protection in Europe

• Aim of the Project

• Methods

• First Results

• Summary and Outlook

Institute for Water and River Basin Management

Water Resource Management HydrologyAquatic Environmental Engineering

Hydrology and Scales

Water and Material Fluxes

Hydrological Processes

Hydrological Engineering

Hydraulics of Surface Waters

Hydraulic Structures and Concepts

Adaptive Water Resource Management

Modeling Tools

River Basin Management

Urban Water Management

Resources and Energy Management

Appropriated Technologies

Modeling of Regionalized Emissions

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD)

To establish a framework for the protection of:

• inland surface waters (Rivers and Lakes)

• transitional waters (estuaries & coastal lagoons)

• coastal waters andgroundwater

To prevent further deterioration and to protect and enhance the status of aquatic ecosystems and their dependant terrestrial ecosystems and wetlands

Principles and Objectives of WFD

Principles:

• Watershed-based

• Combined approachEmission Limit Values plus Environmental Quality Standards

• Integrated monitoring

Objectives:

• Good ecological status by 2015

• No decline in status

• Stakeholder involvement

• Integrated resource management

based on River Management Plans

Biological Elements

Chemical and Physical-Chemical Elements

Hydromorological Elements

Main Objectives of River Basin Management

Management of Water Quantity: • Water scarcity• Floods

Management of Water Quality:• Water pollution• Ecological status (biodiversity, integrity)

Management of the Hydro-Morphological Status of rivers and their floodplains:• Deterioration of structure of aquatic and land ecosystems of rivers • Interruption of connectivity of river systems

Aims of the Project

A feasibility study focusing on surface water quality integrated in the SMART II Program (Sustainable Management of Available Water Resources with Innovative Technologies)

• Check Applicability of Biological Methods in Jordan Rivers and Wadis– Biofilm monitoring for the assessment of water pollution e.g. heavy metals

– Macro-invertebrate survey to evaluate the overall ecological status

• Why Biological Methods?– Results of Biofilm monitoring are directly related to ecological impacts

– Macro-invertebrates are Integrating over several environmental parameters such as organic load, discharge, bottom substrates, pollutants,…

Biofilm Monitoring

• Based on aquatic biofilms – Representing a microbial community with various species like

sessile bacteria, protozoa, fungi – Abundant on any surface exposed to water– Incorporate contaminants– Grow rapidly and offer easy sampling

• Advantages– Low cost– Easy handling– Low site specific

requirements – Integrated results

Plastic Tube

PVC 200 mm

Glass sheets

5 mm

Guard grid to

protect glass

sheets

What is Biofilm?

• Created by microorganisms excreting a slimy substance (extracellular polymeric saccharides)

• A basis of the aquatic food net• Fine suspended solid and pollutants (particulate and solute) are

accumulated• Even low environmental concentrations are detectable

Macro-Invertebrate Survey

• Based on Macro-Invertebrates – Representing a community of insect larvae, crustacean, snails, clams and

worms – Abundant in almost all surface water bodies – Reflecting predominate environmental conditions– Allowing detailed analysis of specific eco-factors

• Advantages– Low cost– Low site specific requirements– Integrated results

• Disadvantages– Species are difficult to determine– Detailed knowledge of aquatic

fauna is required

Classification Based on Chances in Invertebrate Community

Class IVery Good

1 Stonefly

2 Mayfly

3 Flatworm

1 Sphaerotilus

2 Midge

3 Hoverfly

4 Mudworm

1 Soldierfly

2 Waterlouse

3 Leech

1 Waterbug

2 Fingernail-clam

3 Leech

4 Mudsnail

1 Mayfly

2 FreshwaterShirimp

3 Leech

4 Ramshorn Snail

1 Caddisfly

2 Mayfly

3 Snail

4 Flatworm

1 11

1

3

2 3

2

4

2

3

3

2

4

1

22

3 3

4

4

1

Class VBad

Class IVPoor

Class IIIModerate

Class II Good

The Investigation Area

Royal Botanic Garden

First Results – Biofilm Monitoring

• Two Samples of Wadi Ar Rumman– Indicating no pollution – Show very constant values

• Further ten Samples from the Reservoir– Collected and dried– Ready to be analyzed for heavy metals

Fe Pb Cu Zn Cd

mg/Kg mg/Kg mg/Kg mg/Kg µg/Kg

Sample 1 17 397 4.52 8.21 61.8 0.097

Sample 2 10 360 6.38 4.82 36.7 0.228

Two German Rivers -- 33 21 156 2,1

First Results – Macro-Invertebrate Survey Community of Wadi Ar Rumman

• Odonata / Dragonflies– Euphaeidae– Epallage fatime– Orthetrum sp.

• Ephemeroptera / Mayflies– Baetidae– Sphlonuridae– Caenis sp.

• Trichoptera / Caddisflies– Hydropsyche sp.

• Diptera– Ceratopogonidae– Tabanidae– Chrinomidea– Simulium sp.

• Crustacea– Assellus aquaticus– Freshwater crab

Summary and Outlook

• Based on the two samples of Wadi Ar Rumman Biofilm Monitoring shows almost no pollution with heavy metals

• The Macro-Invertebrate survey in the Wadi Ar Rumman result in 16 different indicator organisms

• No biological indicators for organic pollution have be identified

• Al Zarqa River shows a reduced invertebrate community indicating the organic loading of the water

• Continuation of Biofilm Monitoring in Wadi Ar Rumman• Start of Biofilm Monitoring Al Zarqa River• Determination of the Macro-Invertebrates on species level • Building up a reference collection of the Macro-invertebrates of the

region• Analyzing main water constituents in both systems

Thank you