Drinking water quality assessment in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve

Authors

  • Liliana TÖRÖK "Danube Delta" National Institute for Research and Development - Tulcea, Romania. Email: liliana.torok@ddni.ro https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9971-8327
  • Anca Mihaela CIORCA Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. E-mail: ciorca.anca91@gmail.com
  • Edina SZEKERES Institute of Biological Research, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Email: edina.szekeres@icbcluj.ro https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1463-6301
  • Cristian COMAN Institute of Biological Research, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Email: cristian.coman@icbcluj.ro
  • Zsolt TÖRÖK "Danube Delta" National Institute for Research and Development - Tulcea, Romania. Email: ciorca.anca91@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3746-8558

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24193/subbbiol.2017.2.06

Keywords:

algae, cyanobacteria, cyanotoxins, drinking water.

Abstract

This research is aimed mainly at the assessment of water quality of several drinking water treatment plants and groundwater wells, from the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve and the habits of the local population in terms of water consumption and use. Thus, the study highlights the presence and distribution of prokaryotic and eukaryotic assemblages, specifically the algal communities which emerged as a dominant group in the investigated drinking water sources. The spatial variation of the pH, EC, turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, algae species and biomass was measured in five drinking water treatment plants (DWTP) and three groundwater wells from villages located in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. No PCR product was present for either genes coding anatoxin, microcystin and saxitoxin. The bbe- Moldaenke technique identified the presence of sligthly more algal groups, than the light microscopic technique; both methods show clear results: the water treated in the drinking water treatment plants has significant algal biomass. The water quality indicated by the algal communities shows oligo-β-mesosaprobic conditions, despite the high number of taxa and individuals from Sf. Gheorghe and C. A. Rosseti samples, they reflect oligotrophic conditions.

Author Biographies

Liliana TÖRÖK, "Danube Delta" National Institute for Research and Development - Tulcea, Romania. Email: liliana.torok@ddni.ro

"Danube Delta" National Institute for Research and Development - Tulcea, 165 Babadag Street, 820112, Tulcea, Romania. Email: liliana.torok@ddni.ro

Anca Mihaela CIORCA, Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. E-mail: ciorca.anca91@gmail.com

Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Biology and Geology,  Department of Taxonomy and Ecology, 5-7 Clinicilor Street, 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. E-mail: ciorca.anca91@gmail.com

Edina SZEKERES, Institute of Biological Research, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Email: edina.szekeres@icbcluj.ro

Institute of Biological Research, The Algology and Microbial Metagenomics Laboratory, 48 Republicii Street, 400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Email: edina.szekeres@icbcluj.ro

Cristian COMAN, Institute of Biological Research, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Email: cristian.coman@icbcluj.ro

Institute of Biological Research, The Algology and Microbial Metagenomics Laboratory, 48 Republicii Street, 400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Email: cristian.coman@icbcluj.ro

Zsolt TÖRÖK, "Danube Delta" National Institute for Research and Development - Tulcea, Romania. Email: ciorca.anca91@gmail.com

"Danube Delta" National Institute for Research and Development - Tulcea, 165 Babadag Street, 820112, Tulcea, Romania. Email: ciorca.anca91@gmail.com

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Published

2017-12-20

How to Cite

TÖRÖK, L., CIORCA, A. M., SZEKERES, E., COMAN, C., & TÖRÖK, Z. (2017). Drinking water quality assessment in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Biologia, 62(2), 61–73. https://doi.org/10.24193/subbbiol.2017.2.06

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