Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

A SURVEY OF ALGAE IN HABITATS INFLUENCED BY EFFLUENTS FROM A PHOSPHATE PLANT

Ajay Kumar, Goutam Bala and Ambarish Mukherje

Abstract

From the survey of habitats influenced by the effluents of a phosphate factory at Rishra, West Bengal 15 species of algae were identified which include nine species of Chlorophyceae, four species of Cyanophyceae and one each of Euglenophyceae and Bacilariophyceae. Species of Cosmarium, Merismopedia and Sorest rum of Chlorophyceae and Microcvstis of Cyanophvceae were seen to occur in the most polluted water and hence suitable in biomonitroing the habitats with the altered physico-chemical characteristics. Absence of Cymbella laevis (Bacillariophyceae), Pediast rum sp. (Chlorophvceae) and Spirulina sp. (Cyanophyceae) can be noted as an important indication of pollution of water with phsophate and chlroide which were otherwise detected in the control waterbody.