Effluent Diversion to Revive Urmia Lake (Iran) and its Negative Effect on Phytoplankton Composition

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Prof., National Artemia research Center, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Uramia, Iran

2 Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Evin, Tehran, Iran

3 National Artemia research Center, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Urmia, Iran

4 National Artemia Research Center, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Urmia, Iran

5 Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Urmia, Iran

Abstract

Saline lakes are valuable environments which are undergone shrinking due to the global warming and anthropogenic factors. As one of the major hypersaline lakes in the world and the natural habitat of the brine shrimp Artemia urmiana, the desiccation of Urmia Lake (Iran) can be a catastrophe. One of the implemented strategies by officials against the shrinking of this lake is diverting the effluents into the lake. Despite some advantages, this approach can negatively impact the microflora of the lake. Dunaliella was the dominant genus with a density of 98.63 through a 12-month study in Zanbil, Agh Gonbad, Kazem Dashi, and Myan Gozarstations. The analysis revealed the higher percentage of Oscillatoria sp. during February 2023, in the stations of Zanbil, Agh Gonbad, and Myan Gozar. Due to the proximity of these stations to the point where the water effluent from Urmia City's wastewater treatment plant enters Urmia Lake, the increased levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in the effluent can be attributed to this phenomenon.  The toxic nature of this blue-green alga towards Artemia means that utilizing effluent to restore Urmia Lake has the potential to disrupt the lake's food chain.

Keywords

References

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Plant, Algae, and Environment
Volume 7, Issue 2
2023
Pages 1069-1080

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