Preliminary Study on Physico-Chemical Parameters and Phytoplankton of Chiffa River (Blida, Algeria)

The present study was carried out to determine the monthly variations of physico-chemical parameters in water samples from Chiffa river at Blida, North West of Algeria from April to August 2006. Water samples were analyzed for physico-chemical parameters and the results showed their monthly variations as follows: pH 7.5-7.6, electrical conductivity 0.87–1.06？mS·cm？1, nitrate 0–7.00？mg·L？1, nitrite 0–0.28？mg·L？1, ammonia 0–0.03？mg·L？1, phosphate 0–0.94？mg·L？1, sodium 19.3–47.0？mg·L？1, chloride 35.7–52.0？mg·L？1, calcium 90.3–104.7？mg·L？1, magnesium 27.3–37.7？mg·L？1, organic matter 0.4–3.9？mg·L？1, chlorophyll a 0.7–132.3？mg·L？1, and bicarbonate 219.3–248.7？mg·L？1. The analyzed physico-chemical parameters were almost not exceeded the maximum permissible limit of WHO and Algerian Water Quality Guidelines. A total of 53 taxa belonging to 4 divisions have been identified, including Chlorophyta (52.83% of taxa), Bacillariophyta (28.30%), Cyanophyceae (16.98%), and Charophyta (1.89%). 1. Introduction Aquatic ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to environmental change and many are, at present, severely degraded [1]. The availability of good quality water is an indispensable feature for preventing disease and improving quality of life. The physico-chemical properties will also help in the identification of sources of pollution, for conducting further investigations on the ecobiological impacts and also for initiating necessary steps for remedial actions in case of polluted water bodies [2, 3]. Therefore, the nature and health of any aquatic community are an expression of quality of the water. In recent years, increase in human population, demand for food, land conversion, and use of fertilizer have led to faster degradation of many freshwater resources [4, 5]. The discharge of urban, industrial, and agricultural wastes has added the quantum of various harmful chemicals to the water body considerably altering their inherent physico-chemical characteristics [6]. The monitoring of quality of such surface waters by estimating hydrobiological parameters is among the major environmental priorities as it permits direct assessment of the status of ecosystems that are exposed to deleterious anthropogenic factors [7]. The alteration in physico-chemical parameters leading to eutrophication has become a widely recognized problem of water quality deterioration [5]. Phytoplankton constitutes the basic components of the aquatic food chain. They act as primary producers and represent themselves as a direct food source for other aquatic animals. The interplay of physical,