Study of Phytoplanktonin Relation to Physicochemicalproperties of a Drainage in Kakuri Industrial Base Settlement in Kaduna, Nigeria

Abstract

Studies were made on seasonal variation of Phytoplankton communities and some physico-chemical properties such as water temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, transparency and biochemical oxygen demand in three selected stations on the drainage viz: station A, station B and station C for a period of one year from 2010 to2011. A total of 55 species of phytoplankton belonging to different taxonomic groups were identified out of which 27 species of phytoplankton belong to Chlorophyceae, 19 species to Bacillrophyceae and 9 species to Cyanophyceae. Six algal species were identified commonly in the 3stations; two algal species were identifying to station B while station C had eight algal species. The species occurrence of the different study stations reflects relationship between season and physico-chemical properties of the water, the phytoplankton density was high during rainy season and low during dry season, Chlorophyceae formed the dominant group. In the present investigation among the three stations, the water temperature in Station-A was generally high reaching 31.5°c in most of the months. Station-B and C temperature dropped from Decembers to February and also in the wet season’s months. Conductivity highest value was 641mg/l recorded in March, dissolves oxygen recorded highest value of 6.5mg/l. Transparency recorded the highest value in May to July (908 to 909mg/l), Station-B was acidic in some months than Station –A and C. Station-A had the highest biological oxygen demand while Station –B had the highest dissolute oxygen values. Electrical conductivity and transparency was higher during the dry season.

Keywords: Algae, Drainage, Effluent, Physic-chemical properties, Phytoplankton, Relation