Journal of Environmental Research

Assessing the impact of pollution on a river in North Central Nigeria; Using macroinvertebrates biological traits

Joint Event on 5^th International Conference on Pollution Control and Sustainable Environment & 10^th Edition of International Conference on Water: Pollution, Treatment & Research
March 14-16, 2019 London, UK

Edegbene Ovie Augustine, Arimoro F O and Odume O N

hodes University, South Africa
Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Environ Res

Abstract

Statement of the Problem: In Nigeria, there have been increasing alarms on pollution loads in freshwater ecosystem. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: Macroinvertebrate biological traits were used to assess the impact of pollution in River Chanchaga. Selected biological traits were used in this study. Fuzzing coding system was employed to describe the link between a taxon and each trait classes with affinity scores that account for potential functional variation between members of the same family. Findings: From the fuzzy coding system analysis; body size class A5 (>40-80 mm) dominated stations 1 and 2 while stations 3 and 4 were dominated by body size class A4 (>20–40 mm). The respiration classes B2 (tegument), B3 (spiracles), B4 (aerial/vegetation) and B5 (lung) in station 4 dominated other stations in relative abundance while B1 (gills) dominated station 1. Mobility traits; C1 (climbers) dominated stations 2 and 3 while skater (C5) and burrowers (C6) dominated stations 1 and 4 respectively. Streamlined (D1) body shape was highest in station 1 while D4 (cylindrical) body shape dominated station 4. Conclusion & Significance: This study was able to elucidate the effect of pollution processes going on in River Chanchaga as a cause of differences in the organization pattern in the distribution and composition of some macroinvertebrates in the water course. The downstream stations most especially stations 3 and 4 were seriously affected as a result of the perturbed state occasioned by varied degree of anthropogenicity such as illegal gold mining activities, localization of industries, residential buildings, farm settlements.

Biography

Edegbene Ovie Augustine completed his MSc Zoology (Hydrobiology and Fisheries) from Delta State University, Abraka and presently studying for PhD (Water Resource Science) at the Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. He is an expert in the field of Applied Aquatic Ecology. He develops indices for monitoring pollution status in water bodies in Nigeria. He has published over 10 papers in reputed journals and is a serving Board Member of Proceedings of Applied Life Sciences (PALS), Published by “Cambridge International Academics”. He is also a reviewer for many learned international journals.