IMPACT OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES
ON THE ABIOTIC CONDITIONS AND MYCOFLORA OF
THE WATER
Obire1 O., Barade2 W.N., Ramesh3 R. Putheti,Okigbo4, R. N.
1,2Department
of Applied and Environmental Biology,
Rivers State University of Science
and Technology, P.M.B. 5080,
Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Email:
omokaro515@yahoo.com.
3Member
in Sigma Xi, The scientific Research Society,
236-203 St.David
ct,Cockeysville,Maryland,USA,21030.
Email:
rrutwik@yahoo.com
4Department
of Botany, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka,
PMB5025, Anambra State, Nigeria. Email:
okigborn17@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
New Calabar
River and the Omuihuechi Stream are important sources of water in Southern
Nigeria. They receive urban contaminants and wastes from automobile and marine
fuels, heavy oils, spent lubricants and other petroleum products, untreated
sewage, human and animal faeces and various kinds of domestic, agricultural and
industrial waste. The impact of human activities on the abiotic quality and
mycoflora of the New Calabar River and the Omuihuechi Stream were investigated
for a period of seven months. Sampling and measurements were conducted within
three designated zones. Five sampling stations (A, B, C, D and E) along the
course of the River are grouped in Zone I. Station F is in Zone II while station
G (control) constitutes Zone III The samples were assessed for Temperature, Flow
Velocity, Secchi-disc Transparency, Sulphate, Phosphate, Dissolved Oxygen, BOD,
total organic carbon, Oil and Grease concentrations. The forest stream acidity
(pH 5.33 ± 0.29) was not significantly different from the River acidity (pH
5.47±0.37). The River flow velocity was 0.213 ± 0.015ms1. The following
fungal genera were identified: Aspergillus, Byssochlamys, Candida,
Cephalosporium, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Mucor, Penicillium, Rhizopus,
Saccharomyces, Sporobolomyces and Trichoderma. Zone II was observed to show a
high tendency of eutrophication than zone 1 while zone III (control) was free
from such influences. There were significant differences in Fungal count, pH,
Organic carbon, BOD5 and Transparency (P=0.01) between the Zones. The human
activities occurring at specific points (stations) along the river course appear
to have influenced both biotic and abiotic parameters of the aquatic ecosystem.
Keywords:
Calabar river, Nigeria, fungal population, human activities, Physico-chemistry.
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